


The Adventures of Markopunzel

by Catstaff



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Nightwish
Genre: AU Disney x AU Nightwish crossover, F/M, M/M, Slash, ooc-ness abounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:47:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 77,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28370088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catstaff/pseuds/Catstaff
Summary: Everyone knows tales of gods seducing mortal women, but in the western realms of the continent of Fantasmus, unwed mothers are most often sent across the Great Divide to the eastern countries to have their babies. But some of those babies grow up and come west, seeking their heritage, and some of those find much more than they expect.
Relationships: Emppu Vuorinen/Troy Donockley, Kai Hahto/Floor Jansen, Tuomas Holopainen/Marko Hietala
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue and Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this fic was my 2020 NaNoWriMo project. It kind of skirts the border between RPF and pure fantasy - while I'm certainly using the names, basic looks, and skills of Nightwish's current members, they're all much closer in age than in real life, and they're all children of various Disney Princesses and various Greek or Norse gods. They for sure don't inhabit the real world! I'm sure my characters bearing the names of the real-life band members bear little to no resemblance in personality to the actual people in question and the characters are definitely in different relationships than their real-life counterparts. Don't bother complaining that they're OOC. I wrote them that way on purpose. Oh, assume any mentioned-by-name Disney Princess would have been 18+ at the time she had a kid... I mention this because a couple of them were pretty young in their respective movies; just figure they grew up somewhere along the line, okay?
> 
> This tale came about as a result of a piece of fan art posted on Marko Hietala's YouTube channel, a caricature of him featuring hair and beard to the ground, with his only remark being, "Markopunzel?" 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/post/UgxyZts9CSeEzGqluHt4AaABCQ 
> 
> Someone said in comments that they'd love to see the story of Prince Markopunzel and gave a whole bunch of points they'd like to see in said story. Well, I honestly only kept about one and a half of those points (sorry!) but between the picture and the suggestion, and with NaNoWriMo swiftly approaching, well, I definitely got nudged by a very large plot bunny. This was a fun story to write, a bit silly, perhaps, but hey, Disney, am I right?

Many small kingdoms dotted the continent of Fantasmus in the world of Dislandia. A world steeped in magic, the western kingdoms relied upon magic and never developed much technology, while the eastern realms eagerly developed and embraced it. Fantasmus, especially the western kingdoms, was also a favored spot for the gods of many worlds to visit to escape their own realms now and again, to pretend to be mortal for a while and party with the locals. Of course, this occasionally caused… unanticipated results… for the locals in question. Those results tended to also end up with the young lady in question being sent to the eastern kingdoms in disgrace. 

The train was the only safe means of travel between the two sides of the continent thanks to an earthquake of over a hundred years before. It had quite literally opened up a chasm in the middle of the lone mountain pass that had been the only way to travel between the eastern and western kingdoms. Known as the Great Divide, the chasm proved both extremely deep and several miles wide, with nearly sheer walls, the technology used in the east at the time hadn’t been able to bridge the gap. The people of the magic-heavy western realms, however, liked having a place to send anyone they deemed undesirable, from which the exiled people would be most unlikely to return, so the western kingdoms banded together and sent a team of mages to build a bridge and a magical railway to cross the chasm. 

Over time, fewer people traveled between the eastern realms and the western kingdoms, so that the train across the Great Divide only ran once a month in each direction. Most eastbound passengers were either unwed mothers-to-be or else people lacking magical abilities who wanted to settle in a place where that lack wouldn’t be a hindrance. Since technology flourished in the east, with cars, computers, and mobile phones having become commonplace, western immigrants soon grew to appreciate the comfortable eastern lifestyle and seldom wished to return to western life. Westbound travelers were most often the children of those immigrants, making the journey west in hopes of meeting their extended family. Most returned home after a brief visit, shocked that the western realms still used gold and silver coins instead of paper money or debit cards, horses instead of cars, and expected women to stay home and raise children. While they generally appreciated the chance to travel and meet family, they also generally couldn’t wait to return to the east and modern life.

**********************************************

Markopunzel set down the cases containing his and his stepbrother’s instruments and grumbled a few choice words as he looked at the rapidly deflating tire on the old van Zacharyndo ‘inherited’ when Zach’s father Kimmorven, an electrician, got a promotion and a company vehicle last year. He must have run over a nail or something, while driving back to the house, probably when he'd had to pull over to let an ambulance speed by in the opposite direction.

They’d gotten to the bar to meet up with the rest of their garage band for Open Mike Night and Zach was two pints in before realizing he hadn’t loaded their instruments before picking up Marko from the university. Marko had offered to go back for them since he had been too busy discussing today’s lecture with a classmate to drink more than a few sips of his own beer. He pulled out his cell phone and let Zach know what happened, knowing his stepbrother would tell the other guys that he’d be a little longer, then paused to make sure his long hair and beard were safely braided up out of the way before getting out the jack and the spare and changing the tire. 

Stowing the tools and the punctured tire, he set Zach’s guitar and his own bass in the passenger seat and fastened the seatbelt over them so they wouldn’t get flung around and headed back to the bar. His phone rang when he was halfway there, but he let it go to voicemail since he was driving. To his surprise, Zach was out in the parking lot when he pulled in, and barely waited for him to stop before jumping into the van.

“What’s wrong?” Marko asked, seeing the worry on his stepbrother’s face.

“Dad called,” Zach said. “Mom got hit by a car while walking the dog. Drunk driver. He said it’s bad… and she’s asking for you.”

“Shit!” Marko pulled back out onto the street, heading for the hospital. They obviously weren’t performing tonight. “Hang on.” He gunned the engine and just barely made the light; they’d be at the hospital in ten minutes.

He turned into the hospital’s drive and skidded into the first empty parking spot he found. Kimmorvan met them in the lobby and guided them to Rapunzel’s room. “It’s good you boys got here so quickly,” he said.

Machines beeped and whirred around Rapunzel’s bed. Marko halted in shock at seeing his mother, bruised and battered and with her hair cut short. They had always had their hair in common, ridiculously long hair that seemed almost alive. “Mom? I’m here, Mom,” he said, hurrying forward to gently take her hand.

Rapunzel opened her eyes and tried to smile at her son. “My baby,” she murmured. “You know I came here to Kuipetto because I was having you… that my foster mother threw me out. What I never told you is, I grew up in one of the western kingdoms.” She coughed and moaned a little. “Ow. They rely much more on magic there. Nearly everyone has at least a little in them. But not as much technology as here.”

Marko held his mother’s hand to his cheek as Kimmo moved to take her other hand. Zach stood beside Kimmo, his hand resting on the shoulder of the only mother he could remember. “Mom, you should rest,” Zach said. 

“No time,” Rapunzel said. “They had to cut my hair off… it got tangled up in something when the car knocked me down and they couldn’t get me free. But my hair… was my magic. It always healed me. I could cut a lock here or there and use it to heal others. But with it all gone…”

“Your magic can’t help you heal,” Marko said, closing his eyes. “Oh, Mom…”

She stroked his cheek lightly. “I told them no heroic measures. What happens, happens. Your hair is your magic as well, Marko,” she said. “It’s why I never cut it, as soon as I realized you’d inherited my magic. I think you take more after your sire, though, he… never said outright, but he was very much a warrior. I saw that in you from when you managed to catch that bully going after Zach with your hair, like that film character with the whip, back when you were just starting school.”

Zach smiled softly. “I remember that. Two years younger than me, but he was going to help his big brother whether or not I wanted him to. I figured the bully would kick his a… backside… first, then mine. But no, my little brother just walked up and _headbanged_ towards the kid, and next thing I knew, the bully was all wrapped up in Marko’s hair and couldn’t move.”

Rapunzel tried to smile once more. “My brave boys,” she said. “Marko, I want you to travel west after I’m gone. Remember your baby blanket?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“It was mine. That symbol on it, I found out it’s the symbol of the kingdom of Corona. I never actually knew where I lived, back when I was growing up,” she said. “My foster mother kept me isolated, and there wasn’t anything like computers for me to learn things from. There’s still not much information to be found on the western kingdoms – I tried to research it so I could tell you more. I figured I’d tell you when you were done at university and ready to go out on your own, but now… there’s a folder at home, Kimmo will give it to you. But I wanted to tell you in person. Go to Corona, Marko, find your heritage. I only wish I knew more. I don’t know if I’m simply an orphaned child, or if there was some other reason I was fostered out the way I was. I’d hoped we could make the trip together or even as a family.” She coughed again, and her nose started to bleed. “That won’t happen now.”

Marko leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I love you, Mom.” He drew a deep breath as Kimmo gently daubed at his wife’s bleeding nose. “Come on, Zach, let’s go for a walk or something. Let Dad have some time with Mom.”

Zach blinked before a look of understanding suffused his face. “Yeah… yeah, a walk sounds good.” He followed Marko’s example, leaning in to kiss Rapunzel’s cheek before moving towards the door. 

As the two exited the room, Marko heard, “Thank you, Kimmo. I couldn’t have asked for a better man in my life than you,” followed by the harsh sobs of a man unused to tears. He closed the door softly.

“Come on,” Zach said. “There’s gotta be a cafeteria somewhere, and I know you planned on dinner at the bar.”

“Yeah,” he said with another sigh. “I almost wish Mom didn’t say anything, you know?”

Zach nodded. “Yeah. Especially since you’ll have to go alone if you follow her wishes about seeking out Corona and trying to find your heritage there. Dad’s gonna have a hard enough time as it is, he’ll be better off where he’s got friends and family. Which means I can’t go either.”

“I know,” Marko said bleakly.

They found the cafeteria and got coffees plus a sandwich for Marko. He ate about half and toyed with the other half, picking the crust off before finally tossing out the mangled remains. “Let’s get back up there,” he said. “If it’s gonna happen, we should all be there for her.”

“Definitely,” Zach agreed.

They got back upstairs to find Kimmo sitting on the bed and supporting Rapunzel against himself. Marko and Zach moved to either side of the bed, taking her hands. “We’re back, Mom,” Marko said softly. “We’re all here.”

Her eyes fluttered open briefly. “My men,” she said. “I love you.” Her eyes drifted shut once more as she exhaled. The machine’s beeps slowed, then changed to a thin electronic drone. Marko, Kimmo, and Zach reached out in a group hug in their shared grief.


	2. Chapter 2

Marko waited to leave until he finished the term at university. He didn’t know if he’d come back and finish his degree, as he really hoped he’d be able to make a living with his music, but since the semester had been paid for, he figured he might as well finish it out. If he did decide to go back for a degree, he’d have some credits towards it already. He’d done some research of his own in an effort to add to the little that Rapunzel gathered before the accident, but his mother had been right; there was hardly any information about the western kingdoms available online or anywhere else he’d looked.

At least he knew he would need cash money in the western kingdoms; that was in his mother’s file, along with a note that if he intended taking his instruments, he’d need to have them enchanted to draw power from the ambient magic. The western kingdoms didn’t do electricity, either. He wasn’t sure he liked what little he’d learned about the western realms, but he knew his mother had spent most of her life wondering about her heritage; from the file, it looked as though she’d planned for years to go west and try to find that information. He felt as though he needed to find his maternal ancestry in her honor, now that she’d never be able to do it herself.

As his date of departure drew closer, he busied himself with preparations for the trip – enchanting his bass and his microphone and amp, purchasing space-expanded luggage so he could fit his instruments along with necessary items like clothing, and emptying his bank account of all but the minimum deposit and converting it to the gold coins still used in the west. Shaking his head at the idea of paying in gold and silver coins for things, he chuckled to himself that it was a good thing he’d bought that luggage. Not only were the duffle bag and backpack large enough on the inside to hold everything, they were also charmed to never feel heavier than ten pounds no matter what he put into them.

Marko got up early on his travel date, picking some forget-me-nots and miniature roses before slipping out to Rapunzel’s burial place. He clipped a small lock of his hair and wrapped it around the stems of the flowers before laying them on the grave. “Well, Mom,” he said softly, “Today’s the day. I’m going to do my damnedest to fulfill your dream of learning your ancestry. I’m all packed, got my train tickets, money, and your information file. Zach would have liked to come with me, but he doesn’t want to leave Dad alone, not that I blame him. I know Dad misses you more than he tries to let on. Wants to be brave for me and Zach, I suppose. Anyway, they’re supposed to take me to the station in about an hour, so I best get back home before they wonder where I am. I just… wanted to say goodbye, since I won’t be able to visit for who knows how long. I love you, Mom. I hope I’ll make you proud.”

Turning away from the grave with a sigh, he hurried back home. As no one else seemed to be up yet, he made coffee and poured himself a cup. The scent wafting through the house drew Kimmo and Zach out of their rooms fairly quickly.

“Bless you, little brother,” Zach said as he blearily poured himself a cup, only spilling a little. “Dad up yet?”

“I am,” Kimmo said with a yawn. “Morning comes entirely too early.” He poured his own cup of coffee without spilling. “Looking forward to your trip, Marko?”

“Yes and no,” Marko replied. “I want to do this for Mom, of course, because I know it’s what she wanted. And I’m all for taking some time off from school since I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,” he quipped. “On the other hand, what little I’ve found about the western kingdoms doesn’t fill me with confidence. You know, the whole bit about needing to pay cash for everything, and said cash being actual gold coins. Talk about being vulnerable to theft – at least around here, if my wallet got lifted, I could call the bank and have them cancel my debit card. I’ll be okay, though. Anyone tries to steal from me, they’ll end up wrapped in my hair and delivered to whatever the local equivalent of the police station is.”

Zach, perking up with the addition of fresh caffeine to his bloodstream, grinned. “True enough, dude, you’ve got one hell of a secret weapon there.”

Kimmo smiled. “You’ve got everything packed? Including your mother’s baby blanket? It could provide a clue to her parents, after all.”

Marko nodded. “Yeah, it’s all packed. And my train tickets are in my wallet.”

“We probably ought to head out, then,” Kimmo said, gulping his coffee down. “Just in case we hit traffic, or something. You don’t want to miss your connection and get stuck in Kitellon for a month. That would get expensive.”

“Yeah, it would,” Marko agreed. He shouldered his backpack and picked up his suitcase.

Zach climbed into the back of the van for the trip to the station, while Kimmo drove. When they arrived, Marko grabbed his luggage and took a deep breath.

Kimmo handed him an envelope. “Marko, your mother and I married for practical reasons; she’d been sent east because you were on the way, and Zach needed a mother because my first wife died of cancer when he was a little over a year old. But Rapunzel and I grew to love one another very much, and I couldn’t love you more if I was your birth father. Zel never could say for sure who sired you, but I’ve got my suspicions… we’ve all heard stories of powerful beings, gods if you will, popping up and seducing any women that catch their eye. I don’t know if they’re really gods or just really, really powerful magic users, but either way, I think one of them sired you. I know you’ve always considered me your father. But I’ve written down everything Zel told me about your sire along with everything I’ve guessed. That way, if you want to try to identify him, you’ve got what little information there is at hand. And whether you do or don’t, you’ll always be my son, Marko. A son I’m proud of.”

Marko had to blink back tears. “Thanks, Dad,” he said, his voice husky. “I love you. You too, Zach, I’m gonna miss you.” He hugged them both.

“I’ll miss you too, little brother,” Zach said, a teasing lilt to his voice as he added, “especially at the bar. No one else lets me get away with drinking half their beer.”

All three men laughed as Marko blew a raspberry at Zach before swinging aboard the commuter train. He found a seat and stowed his luggage. A whistle tooted and the train gave a jerk. He opened his window, waving at his family as the train accelerated out of the station. Sitting back down once they’d receded out of sight, he pulled an adventure novel from his backpack and settled in to read for the hour and a half trip to Kitellon, the eastern terminus of the lone rail line to the western kingdoms.

Upon arrival, he grabbed his duffle bag and backpack, hopping off the train and moving into the main concourse of the terminal. A quick check of the huge clock suspended from the ceiling showed that he had a little over an hour before the so-called Western Express departed, so he paused to grab a sandwich to take along before finding his platform.

And nearly dropped his sandwich when he found it at the far end of the concourse, well away from the other lines in and out of Kitellon. The Western Express was… cute. He just couldn’t find any other word to describe it. Pulled by a small, bright purple steam engine, the passenger cars resembled oversized horse-drawn coaches chained together, rather than standard train cars. With an eight-hour trip ahead, he wondered how that would work.

He found out as he got his ticket punched. “Either take an empty carriage or one with members of your own gender already aboard,” the uniformed official told him. “We hold to moral standards in the west and refuse to tolerate shenanigans aboard our train. Each carriage is equipped with both a necessary and a food and drink cupboard for your comfort on your journey. Thank you, and welcome aboard the Western Express.”

As one of the earliest arrivals, Marko quickly picked an empty carriage and settled in so he could eat his sandwich in comfort. The carriages obviously came outfitted with magic space; they contained four luxurious seats that could recline and still leave room for people to move around, plus the snacks cupboard and sanitary facility. He’d just finished his sandwich and gotten up to bin the wrapper when a voice called in the open door.

“Got room for two more in there?”

“Sure,” Marko called back, moving back to his seat to be out of the way as they boarded.

“Thanks,” said the owner of the voice, a tall man with dark hair that reached just a little past his shoulders. A short and stocky man with longer blond hair followed the speaker aboard.

“You’re welcome,” Marko said. “I’m Markopunzel, my friends call me Marko. I suspect we’ll be friends by the end of the trip, yeah?”

The other two laughed. “Probably,” the dark-haired man said. “I’m Tuomasell but call me Tuomas.”

“Emppunel, Emppu to my friends,” said the blond. He opened the snacks cupboard and smiled. “Hey, they stock some good stuff! No wonder the whole train is considered first class rather than economy travel.” He handed Tuomas a small bottle of a deep red wine and grabbed a lager for himself. “What’s your poison, Marko?”

“Whatever beer is in there is good, I’m not too fussy.” He took the bottle that Emppu passed over. “Thanks.”

Tuomas pulled the cork from his wine bottle just as the train whistle blew. A moment later, they pulled out of the station, moving much more quickly than they’d expected given the small size of the steam engine. “Gentlemen, I propose a toast,” he said, holding up his bottle. “To the adventures that await us in the west.”

“To adventure,” Marko and Emppu chorused, clinking their beer bottles against Tuomas’s wine before all three took a long drink.

Emppu gave Marko a smile as they settled back into their seats. “So, let me guess… some god knocked up your mother and she got sent east as a result?”

Marko nearly snarfed his beer. “Wait, how could you possibly know that?” he sputtered. “Dad… my stepfather… said before I left that he thinks that might have been how Mom came to have me, but even she didn’t know for sure who sired me. She grew up in foster care and said the woman who raised her kept her really sheltered. I’m talking sheltered to the point that Mom didn’t know what was involved with getting a baby started until she’d already gotten me started. But yeah, she got tossed out and sent east. She and Dad met while she was looking for some kind of work – he was looking for a nanny for his young son, as his wife had died not long before. She took the job, figuring that once I arrived she could just as easily mind two kids as one. They both said they got married for practical reasons, but they definitely grew to love each other. Mom always dreamed of trying to find her heritage, though, at least to find out what happened to her parents that she was raised in fosterage.” He took a swig of his beer, adding, “We lost her to a drunk driver a couple months ago, but before she died, she asked me to do it in her place.”

Emppu flushed, looking awkward. “Oh… I’m sorry, dude.”

Tuomas said, “My sympathies on your loss.”

“Thanks,” Marko said.

“As to how Mister Tactful there guessed your parentage,” Tuomas continued, “it’s because we’re both in much the same situation. We pretty much grew up together; my mother actually works for his mother.”

“Yeah, his mother came from the west as well,” Emppu said, regaining his cheerfulness when Marko didn’t seem to take offense at his thoughtless question. “Mine’s actually a native of Kitellon, although Mom’s considered… eccentric, if you’re being polite. She’s a race car driver, goes by Vanellope von Schweetz. Met my birth father at a post-race party. He professed his admiration for her talent both as a driver and as someone whose daily life consisted of metaphorically giving the finger to the establishment. She accepted his invitation to continue the party in a more private venue and ended up with a living souvenir of the party. Mom did say, in all fairness, he was upfront that he wasn’t in a position to offer her anything permanent, and that while I was a surprise, I was a welcome one. Not to mention, one more reason to give the establishment the proverbial finger.”

He grinned, adding, “About the only thing that really confused her was that I came out blond. She’s got a couple pictures of him, and he’s got dark hair in those. Still, he’s the only one who even could have sired me, so she figured he either dyed his hair or used illusions to disguise himself. I suspect he might have shown up at a few more parties, because every now and then Mom comes home looking a lot happier than usual. But she’s not telling, and I am for sure not asking!”

Marko nodded. He didn’t follow racing, although Janne and Mako, two of the guys in the band with him and Zach, did, so he’d heard the name Vanellope von Schweetz before. “That’s good that you at least have a picture and know that he and your mom parted company on good terms. There’s obviously no pictures of whoever sired me, although Dad gave me whatever information he got from Mom about him over the years. I just haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.”

Tuomas nodded. “I don’t have much information about my sire either,” he said. “I only know that he helped my mother get past the loss of her husband. My grandfather is a scientist and inventor, which is rare in the western kingdoms from what Mom said. She grew up loving books and learning, which made her a bit of an oddity there, and it got worse when she refused the suit of a man who rather arrogantly announced that learning was wasted on pretty girls and he would teach her a woman’s proper place at her man’s feet. She left town to stay with a friend for a while and met someone while she was away. Only the man she met, he was a werewolf. Mom didn’t care since they’re only dangerous when there’s a full moon.” He paused to take a drink.

“But the man from her hometown who she refused to marry found out and completely freaked out. Bad enough that she wouldn’t marry him, but that she intended to marry someone who was – in his eyes – a monster? He decided she must have been bewitched into loving the werewolf somehow. He followed Mom and Grandpa back to her man’s place and gathered up a few other small-minded idiots, leading them to attack the place to kill the so-called monster. Apparently he expected that once the werewolf died, it would break the spell and she’d be properly grateful to him for ‘rescuing’ her from the beast’s clutches. And just to ice the cake, the attack happened at her wedding celebration.”

“I assume she corrected his thinking?” Marko asked.

“She sure did,” Tuomas grinned. “According to Grandpa, the correction started with a knee to the nuts and finished with a heavy gold candelabra to the head. When he was unconscious, she sent for the local constabulary and had the guy jailed for attempted rape as well as murder. After that, she pretty much withdrew from everything for a while. Grandpa said she would just pack a lunch and a book and vanish into the woods all day. He figured it was her way of mourning and left her to it. It turned out that she’d encountered a stranger out in the woods, one who shared her love of books and poetry, and they’d started talking regularly. I guess that particular day, they’d read something that reminded her of her loss and she started crying. He offered her a shoulder to cry on and it just… progressed from there. But a few weeks later, her stranger said he had to leave, that he had obligations that he’d already put off for too long by staying to be with her. It was only after he was gone that she found out I was on the way.”

“And decided on her own to head east,” Emppu said, obviously familiar with his friend’s story. “Aunt Belle figured it had been too long since her husband had been killed to try to pass off Tuomas as his by claiming they’d done the wedding night a bit before the wedding, so she and her father packed up and came to Kitellon. Mom was looking for a personal assistant, someone who could keep track of her schedule and all because even though she wasn’t driving while pregnant with me, she still had to do publicity and stuff. She figured Aunt Belle would be glad for the job, being pregnant herself, and they ended up getting along really well even though they seem like opposites on the surface. But they’re both of the opinion that women need more opportunities and less pressure to stay home baking cookies, you know?”

Marko grinned. “Just as long as they leave room for the women who want to stay home baking cookies,” he said. “Probably half the girls at the university I went to aren’t looking for an education, they’re looking for a husband.”

Tuomas laughed. “Yeah, there’s room for them. Mom and Aunt Vanellope just want girls who want more from life than a husband and babies to be able to follow their dreams without being told that they’re automatically incompetent just because they’ve got boobs.”

“So why are you two headed west anyway?” Marko asked. “I mean, your mother knows her own heritage, right, Tuomas? You did say she moved east with her father along.”

“Grandpa kept his house in Marneville,” Tuomas said. “He’s gone back once a year to collect the rent and make sure nothing’s falling apart, but he’s getting on in years and decided it was time to let someone else take over. He and Mom both figured it would be better if I went than if she did. You know, that whole ‘men-are-the-masters’ thing most if not all of the western kingdoms seem to have going on.”

“I’m just along for the laughs,” Emppu said cheerfully. “Mom keeps hoping I’ll take an interest in racing, but it’s not for me. Cars get you where you need to go, but I don’t see the need to prove how fast they’ll do so. I’d rather play my guitar.”

Marko brightened. “You play? So do I! Guitar and bass, and I sing, too. Zach and I had a band with a couple of his friends – they let me in even though I’m a couple years younger because I was willing to play bass,” he said with a laugh. “Then it turned out I was a better singer than any of them. We’d play at some of the bars around Kuipetto, but I was the only one who hoped maybe we’d get good enough to try to make a living at music. Zach, Mako, and Janne were just happy to have their day jobs and the band for weekends.”

Tuomas brightened as well. “Emppu and I have talked about putting a band together, although we haven’t really done anything about it yet. I play piano and keyboards, and I write songs as well, music and lyrics both. We’ll need a bass player, if you’re interested.”

“Really? I’ve written some music, but I’m not so good with lyrics,” Marko said.

Emppu grinned. “Now you sound like me.” He grabbed his pack and rummaged in the obviously expanded space, pulling out a metallic purple guitar and a small rehearsal amp. “What do you think of this?” he asked, playing a riff.

Marko smiled. “Oh, I like that,” he said. “But maybe try bringing that top note down a notch? I think you’ll get more of a power sound like that; listen.” He got out his own equipment and demonstrated.

“That’s perfect!” Emppu and Tuomas spoke together.

Tuomas grabbed his own gear out of his bag and the hours flew by as the threesome held their impromptu jam session.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time they noticed the train had started crossing the Great Divide, the vast canyon marking the physical divide between the eastern kingdoms and the western, they decided to stick together in their travels, as Tuomas didn’t have to get to Marneville by any set time and Marko didn’t even know for sure how to get to Corona. They barely had time to repack their instruments before the little train slowed to a stop at a platform that, on first glance, seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. They grabbed their bags and exited the train in the ruddy glow of the setting sun.

A man in an outfit similar to the uniform worn by the ticket-taker in Kitellon directed them towards a hostel of some sort. “This way, folks, your accommodations for the night are just ahead. A light supper will be available in the common room, and breakfast will be served starting at sunrise.”

They followed the small crowd to a sprawling two-story building with a thatched roof. The two people at the front desk directed people into separate wings of the hostel, divided by gender once more. Emppu cracked up when one of the staff, seeing Marko and his knee-length hair from behind, tried to re-direct him to the women’s wing before catching sight of his waist-length beard.

After claiming rooms and stowing their gear, they headed back to the common room for some food.

“Out of curiosity, what’s up with your hair, Marko?” Emppu asked. “I mean, it’s not like I have anything against long hair,” he added, tossing his own mid-back length locks, “but seriously, yours is unusually long for a woman, let alone for a man.”

Marko laughed. “Well, strange as it might sound, my mother had magic that kind of manifested in her hair, and I inherited that trait. Mine’s a little different from how hers was, though. I can use my hair kind of like a whip or a lasso. Broke up a few bar fights when we were playing, by wrapping up the instigator in my hair and holding him until the bouncers could take charge of him. Anyway, once Mom figured out that I’d gotten the magical hair, she wouldn’t let me cut it after that.” His expression dropped as he added, “I don’t blame her, either. Her magic was healing magic, and when they had to cut her hair to get her loose from the car that hit her, it cut her off from her healing power. I know she had really bad internal injuries, but I can’t help but think she might have survived if they didn’t have to cut her hair off.”

Emppu nodded. “I see. And I suppose the longer your hair is, the easier it is to wrap someone up in it.” He grinned and nudged Marko with his shoulder. “I bet you could have some fun with that in the bedroom, too.”

“I, uh, hadn’t thought about that,” Marko mumbled, looking down at his plate and blushing. “Do either of you have magic?”

“I can kind of disappear when I want to,” Emppu said easily. “I don’t exactly go invisible or anything, but if I concentrate on not being noticed, I won’t be seen. And I can move small things at will, too. Nothing that weighs more than about five pounds or so, but I can do it from a fair distance. As a kid, I used to go walking around town and use that talent to collect any dropped money on the streets. Of course, I had to share it with Tuomas so he wouldn’t tell Mom what I was doing.”

Tuomas laughed. “Yeah, well, it’s not like your pocket money wasn’t double what mine was. And I only asked for a third of your take.” He took a bite of his meal before saying, “And to answer your question, Marko, I can feel people’s emotions, and I can also make people feel what I want them to feel. Mom says it’s called receptive and projective empathy. I say it’s a mixed blessing by any name – I can tell if someone wants to do me harm, for example, but it’s also easy for me to get angry when someone nearby is having an argument.”

Marko nodded. “Yeah, that does sound like it’s got both good and bad points.” He stretched, feeling his back pop as he did so. “I don’t know about you two, but I think I’m going to go read for a bit and turn in early. They might not have automated wake-up calls here, but I’m pretty sure I spotted a chicken coop as we came in. If I’m right, our wake-up call is gonna happen at dawn when the roosters start crowing, no matter what time we’d rather get up.”

Emppu made a face. “Roosters? Urgh, why did I come along on this trip again?”

“Because you love me,” Tuomas said deadpan.

Emppu rolled his eyes and gave Tuomas the finger. “Fuck you, Tuomas.”

“You wish, Emppu.”

“Night, guys, see you at breakfast,” Marko said. As he walked away, a small part of him couldn’t help but wonder if the two were more than friends, even as another part of him wondered why it mattered.

After Marko left, Emppu looked at Tuomas. “So, what’s your take on our new friend?”

Tuomas shrugged. “He’s still hurting some over losing his mother; that was pretty hard to miss. His family is close, so he’s actually kind of nervous being out on his own for the first time even if he is a bit older than us. I got the impression that he and his stepbrother pretty much teamed up for everything despite their age difference.”

“Anything else?”

“Nothing I wouldn’t have to actively check for,” Tuomas said. “You know I only do that if I have to – if I think there’s danger. No, Marko isn’t a danger to us, not like that. He’s just glad to have made friends.”

Emppu raised a brow. “Okay, so he’s not a danger, ‘not like that.’ How is he a danger, then?”

Tuomas blushed and looked away.

“Yeah, I thought so,” Emppu said with a laugh. “I was watching your face when he blushed when I teased him about using his hair in the bedroom. Maybe you should do an active check on him, see if there’s a chance for you or not.”

“No,” Tuomas said, shaking his head. “I don’t dare. I won’t take the chance that I’ll accidentally project my own feelings at the same time. If he likes me, great, but I don’t want to chance making him like me, you know? Once was enough.”

“Oh… yeah.” Emppu sobered quickly, remembering the hell Tuomas he been through a few years previously. On a camping trip with a group from school, he’d tried to see if his crush returned his feelings, only to inadvertently cause those feelings to be returned. The two had been deliriously happy for that one weekend, only for the feelings to vanish – on the crush’s side, anyway – as soon as the two put some physical distance between them at the end of the trip. Tuomas had been devastated and determined to learn to better control his empathy so he wouldn’t project like that again. But thinking back, the incident must’ve scarred him pretty badly as well, as he hadn’t even admitted to finding anyone attractive since then. “What are you going to do, then?”

“Just go on as I might with anyone else, I guess.”

“Want me to talk to him?”

Tuomas thought about that. “I don’t know… maybe? I just… I wish I had your confidence. I can listen, but it’s hard for me to talk, especially when my own feelings are involved.”

Emppu nodded. “Yeah. Well, I’ll give it a few days anyway. Give you both time to get comfortable with each other and maybe you’ll manage to do some talking of things other than music. If not, I’ll try to catch him alone at some point and see if you might have a chance with him.”

“I guess,” Tuomas said. “I do think he’s got the right idea about going to bed early if we’re likely to be awakened by roosters crowing at dawn. I’m gonna head up.”

“I’ll be along soon; I just want one more beer. Too much sitting today and I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t get a little more relaxed first,” Emppu said.

Tuomas laughed. “Yeah. Sometimes I wish I had your energy, even though I can see the downside of it as well. See you at breakfast, then, bro.” He finished the last of his wine and stood, sauntering off to his room.

As he passed Marko’s door Tuomas paused for a moment, feeling absurdly pleased at hearing the soft strumming of an acoustic guitar accompanying the wistful voice of the bearded man singing the words he had penned earlier that day to accompany one of Marko’s tunes. “…with sea winds in his face. Tempest-tossed island, seasons all the same. Anchorage unpainted and a ship without a name…”

Tuomas smiled and resumed walking down the hall to his room, flattered that Marko thought well enough of his lyrical skills to already practice singing the song. He went to sleep with a smile still on his face.

In the common room, Emppu ordered himself another beer and looked around at the others still populating the area. He grinned as two violins and a cello started playing by themselves in a corner of the room, then he turned his attention to a man of about his own age tapping his hands on the bar in rhythm with the music. He stifled a chuckle as he noticed the man also tapping his toes on the floor and decided to find out if the guy actually played drums or if he just wanted to. Watching the ease with which the man moved, he suspected it was the former.

He waited for the song to end before walking over. “Hey, friend,” he said, “how long have you been drumming?”

The man looked up, giving a friendly smile. “Oh, maybe twelve years now, at least on a proper drum kit. According to my mother, I’ve been banging on upturned bowls and kettles since I was about two.”

Emppu laughed. “Nice. I’m Emppunel, by the way, but please call me Emppu.”

“Kaiderel,” the drummer said. “But I prefer just Kai. Are you a musician as well?”

“Yeah, I play guitar,” Emppu said. “Actually, an old friend and I have been talking about putting together a band – Tuomas plays keys and is a brilliant songwriter – and we met a bass player on the train out here. Want to maybe meet them in the morning? We need a drummer – and I’m guessing since you’re here, you’ve probably also got something else in common with the three of us.”

Kai raised a brow. “You mean like a mother that came from somewhere on this side of the continent, who settled in the east because she got pregnant by someone who vanished?”

“Pretty much,” Emppu nodded. “Although my mom is an eastern native. But yeah, Marko’s mom died a couple months back but asked him to find her heritage if possible. He said she was raised in fosterage and didn’t know who her parents were. Tuomas’s grandfather still owns property out this way, but he’s getting old and asked Tuomas to make the annual trip to collect the rent and make sure the place is still in good shape. I really just came along as moral support for Tuomas, and because my mom was trying to push me into a career I don’t want. I figured better to get away for a bit, than to end up constantly fighting.”

“That makes sense,” Kai agreed. “Yeah, my mother asked me to come out and check on one of her stepsisters – the one who helped her out when her husband died, before she got pregnant with me. It’s a bit of a story. Mind waiting until I meet your friends in the morning to hear it, so I only have to tell it once?”

Emppu smiled. “Yeah, not a problem.” He drained his beer and said, “Marko said he noticed a chicken coop as we headed in here, so he says we can probably expect to be woken up around dawn. S’why I grabbed one more beer, to help me sleep. I’m usually a bit of a night owl, but if the roosters are going to insist on everyone getting out of bed at a stupidly early hour…”

“Then going to bed earlier than usual is probably a good idea,” Kai laughed. “Thanks for letting me know, because I didn’t notice.” He drained his own mug and stood up. “I’ll look for you and your friends in the morning, then?”

“Sounds good,” Emppu said with a nod. “G’night, Kai.”

“Good night, Emppu.”

The two men made their way to their respective rooms and slipped into slumber as the sounds of the hostel slowly quieted as the night progressed.

*******************************

As Marko anticipated, the roosters dwelling in the hostel’s chicken coop announced the rising sun loudly and insistently. He got up and ready for the day, exiting his room to see Tuomas just emerging from his. “Good morning,” he called softly, not wanting to wake anyone who’d managed to sleep through the roosters crowing.

“Morning, Marko,” the dark-haired man said with a smile. “I think we made a good choice to go to sleep early. I could hear Emppu stumbling around and cursing in there.” He gestured towards the shorter man’s door. “Mind, he doesn’t really come conscious before his second cup of coffee and that’s on a good day, but this is a lot earlier than he’d normally get up.”

Marko laughed. “Poor guy, sounds like my brother.”

Emppu’s door banged open just then, the little blond peering around balefully from behind a severe case of bed-head. “What idiot decided morning happens this fucking early?” he grumped.

“The roosters,” Marko said, trying not to laugh. “Come on, they’re supposedly serving breakfast already. Let’s get you some coffee.”

“Coffee. Yeah. Coffee’s good,” Emppu muttered. He grabbed hold of Marko’s arm and closed his eyes again. “Lead on, bro.”

Marko just looked down at the hand clutching his bicep, then up at Tuomas. “Erm, okay?” he said, giving Tuomas a questioning look.

Tuomas nodded, chuckling. “This is normal,” he said quietly. “He’s actually in a decent mood this morning. I’m glad he listened to you about going to bed early or he’d really be grouchy.” He made sure Emppu’s door was closed before taking the lead down to the common room.

The trio found seats and a server brought mugs of coffee along with a pitcher of cream and a bowl of sugar, and a menu. “I can bring you gentlemen the sunrise special right away,” he said, “or if you would prefer to have individual meals, I can give you a few minutes to look over the choices.”

Marko glanced at the menu, seeing what came in the sunrise special. “Scrambled eggs with cheese and mushrooms plus pancakes with fruit topping? That sounds good.”

“Three specials, please,” Tuomas said. As the server nodded and left, he grinned at Marko. “Emppu loves pancakes.

The little blond was practically face down in his mug of black coffee, but he seemed alert enough to notice a particular word. “Pancakes? Where?”

“On the way, Emppu,” Marko said, grinning. “You’re lucky Tuomas knows what food you like.”

“Morning sucks. Pancakes and coffee make it tolerable,” Emppu mumbled as he chugged his coffee. Tuomas shook his head and shoved his own as-yet-untouched mug in front of his friend. “Mm. Thanks.” He proceeded to chug down that coffee as well.

Marko shrugged and slid his mug to Emppu as well. “I see what you mean about him requiring coffee to function,” he commented.

Tuomas laughed. “Yeah. Well, his mom’s career doesn’t help much. The races don’t start before noon, so even if she’s out walking the track ahead of time or whatever, she’s not usually up until a couple of hours from now at the earliest. So he’s kind of used to keeping her schedule.”

Emppu sipped his third coffee much more slowly. “Okay, what did I miss?”

“Tuomas ordered breakfast, so we’re waiting for it to arrive,” Marko said. “Other than that, not much.”

“Is Kai here yet?” Emppu asked.

Tuomas and Marko exchanged a glance. “Who’s Kai?” Tuomas asked.

“Oh. Right. You were already in bed,” Emppu said. “He’s a drummer I met when I stayed to have that last beer last night. I invited him to meet you guys, because, you know, we need a drummer for the band. He said he’d find us or we’d find him, however you want to think about it, down here this morning. He seemed like a nice guy. Friendly face, not outstandingly handsome but not ugly either, hair’s on the light side of medium brown and about as long as yours, Tuomas, maybe a bit longer. Nice broad shoulders, so I expect he’s got the strength needed for some serious drumming.”

Tuomas laughed. “Contemplating a seduction, are you?”

Emppu took another sip of coffee. “Not really. I might not read emotions like you do, but I got the feeling he wouldn’t be interested.”

“Yeah, you’ve had more practice than I have at figuring that out,” Tuomas said blandly.

Their meals arrived just then, along with a fresh round of coffees. Marko and Tuomas got to drink theirs this time, while Emppu blissfully dug into his pancakes.

About halfway through the meal, Emppu perked up and started waving at a newcomer to the common room. “Kai! Over here, dude!”

Kai made his way over to where the guitarist sat with his friends. “Good morning,” he said with a smile. “Emppu, thanks again for warning me about the roosters.”

“Thank Marko,” Emppu said. “I didn’t notice them either. Kai, this is Marko and Tuomas. Guys, this is Kai.”

“Nice to meet you,” Marko said, offering his hand. Tuomas echoed his words and gesture.

Kai shook both offered hands and sat down. A server immediately appeared with coffee and a menu.

“Just get the special,” Tuomas advised. “You’ll get it faster, and it’s good.”

“The special sounds fine,” Kai agreed, glancing quickly at the menu. “I’m hungry.”

The server nodded and vanished again, returning a moment later with the special.

The other three let Kai get some food and coffee into himself before Tuomas started the conversation. “Emppu says you’re a drummer,” he said. “Have you been in any bands?”

“Yeah, some friends and I played a bit. Nothing big, of course, high school dances and stuff, since none of us were old enough to go to bars until about six months back,” Kai said. “I grew up in Vaastera.”

“They’re from Kitellon,” Marko said. “And I grew up in Kuipetto. I was in a garage band there with my stepbrother and a couple of his friends.”

Kai nodded. “Emppu gave me the highlights of why you’re here,” he said. “I told him I’m looking for my mother’s stepsister. My grandfather had been a knight, living in Marneville in the kingdom of Bordeaux, and my mother was the only child of his first wife. His second wife had two daughters, both of whom were encouraged by their mother to treat my mother badly, especially after her father passed. Things pretty much came to a head when the prince of Bordeaux chose my mother as his bride. Her stepmother had tried to keep her from being seen by the prince, you see, in hopes that one of her daughters might catch his eye instead. Once my mother was married, her stepmother managed to sell her late father’s estate to increase the dowries of her own daughters. Because my grandfather hadn’t left a will, Mom couldn’t do anything more than claim a quarter of the proceeds.” He paused to drink more of his coffee.

“At first, it didn’t seem as if it would matter. But then the prince died in a hunting accident and Mom hadn’t produced a child. The king needed to remarry in hopes of siring another child to ensure the succession and didn’t want a pretty daughter-in-law around to possibly make a new queen uncomfortable, so he sent her back to Marneville, completely forgetting or maybe not caring that she no longer had a home there. Fortunately, one of Mom’s stepsisters had been horrified by what her mother did to Mom, and as she was now happily married herself, she took Mom in temporarily. Mom decided to go east, because even though she was grateful to Aunt Anastasia, she didn’t want to overstay her welcome, especially as Anastasia married for love against her mother’s wishes, to a man of the merchant class. To save money, she decided to travel alone to the train… and got attacked along the way. A stranger saved her, a man she took for a blacksmith by his looks. When he refused payment for helping her, she decided to show her gratitude by inviting him to share her camp. Not long after she arrived in Vaastera, she discovered I was on the way. Anyway, she and Aunt Anastasia kept up a correspondence, but Aunt Anastasia’s letters stopped coming about three months ago. Mom couldn’t get leave from her job, so she asked me to go to Marneville and see what happened.”

Tuomas smiled. “Marneville is on our itinerary as well,” he said. “That’s where my mother grew up. We figured we’d go there first since Grandpa gave me directions. After that, we’re going to the kingdom of Corona, so Marko can hopefully find out who his mother’s people were.”

“So, care to travel with us?” Emppu asked. “Safety in numbers and all that.”

“Plus if you’ve got your kit with you, we could start practicing together, see if we fit together as a band,” Marko added.

“We’d love to have you along,” Tuomas said.

Kai smiled. “I think I’d like that.”


	4. Chapter 4

The four men started planning their trip, figuring on leaving the following morning. Kai and Marko had brought small camping tents, having been warned it was likely they wouldn’t find any inns or other shelters in between towns in the western kingdoms. They agreed to share their tents with Tuomas and Emppu, as the tents could easily sleep two. The Kitellon natives paid for a week’s worth of travel food for the four of them, saying it was only fair since they hadn’t considered shelter.

Then Marko brought up something none of them had considered. “I don’t know if you noticed, but pretty much everyone here goes around armed. I think we all ought to look for something we can either use or figure out how to use, just so we don’t look like easy pickings for muggers,” he said. “The trading post attached to the hostel has some weapons as well as travel food and the like. For that matter, we might consider buying a couple of outfits, or at least tunics to wear over our jeans, again, to better blend in with the locals as we travel.”

Tuomas looked thoughtful. “Huh… you’re right. Even the servers at the hostel carry knives. That’s not something Mom and Grandpa mentioned.”

Emppu snorted. “Tuomas, I love Aunt Belle and Uncle Maurice, but they’re both too deep in their books or research to consider anything practical and you know it. Hells, they made the trip from Marneville to the train, yet they didn’t think to tell us we’d need to camp out along the way.”

“True enough. Well, let’s see what’s for sale,” Tuomas said. “I did archery in summer camp as a kid, so I could probably manage a bow all right.”

They entered the little trading post and walked over to the wall where the weapons were displayed. The shop attendant smiled. “It’s nice to see some sensible travelers for a change,” he said. “What are you looking for, do you know?”

Emppu shrugged. “Well, he wants a bow,” he said, gesturing at Tuomas. “I’m decent with throwing knives at the fairs, so I thought I’d stick with something like that.”

“All right, we have a selection of both items,” the shop attendant said. “Come take a look.” He guided the pair to the distance weapons, then turned to Kai and Marko. “Let me guess, personal combat weapons for the two of you. Which, in all honesty, is a good idea anyway – those two can try to hold off any attackers from closing in, but if someone does slip past, they’ll be met with your blades.”

“I don’t know about a blade,” Kai said doubtfully. “I’ve never used one. Maybe a club or something? I’d rather not hurt myself by accident, after all.”

The attendant pursed his lips and looked Kai up and down. “Perhaps a battle-hammer? You have a smith’s build, and a hammer is more precise than a club.”

“Okay,” Kai said with a nod. “Just you, then, Marko.”

Marko didn’t respond. He’d wandered off to the far end of the weapons display and reached behind a massive shield to pull a sturdy sword, complete with scabbard and belt, from behind it. “I’ve found my weapon,” he said.

The shop attendant blanched. “Where did you find… are you sure?” he sputtered.

“I found it right back here,” Marko said. “I don’t know why, but it feels… right. Like it’s supposed to be mine. Which is weird, since I’ve never used a sword.”

Tuomas, noticing the attendant’s odd nervousness and Marko’s unusual calm, performed a quick scan on both. Oddly, the attendant seemed as much awed as worried. Marko just seemed pleased with his find.

The attendant nodded. “I… I’ve been told that a god left that there… that one day his son would claim it. No matter where we hung it in the shop, it always disappeared when customers came looking for weapons, only to turn up again hidden behind things once they were gone. If you found it, it must truly be yours.”

Marko blinked. “Seriously?” he asked. “Damn. I really think I need to read the stuff Dad gave me,” he muttered. “So, uh, what’s the charge, then?”

The attendant shook his head. “No, that was left for you, so it’s yours. May it always serve you faithfully. I suggest all of you also get basic utility knives as well.” He pulled four generic knives from the case, then hastily totted up the costs of the weapons the other three chose, casting awed glances at Marko the whole time. “Is there anything else we can do for you gentlemen?”

“Clothing,” Tuomas said firmly. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just something a little more in keeping with local fashions. We figure that if it’s not screamingly obvious that we’re not from around here, we’ll be more likely to slip beneath the notice of any local troublemakers.”

“Of course, of course,” the attendant said, hastily leading them to a selection of tunics and trews. They each picked out two outfits plus an extra tunic, and he worked out the price and then discounted them to what they could have gotten by haggling. It wouldn’t do to annoy the son of a god, after all. “If I may, gentlemen, if you’re trying to appear local while traveling, don’t forget to bargain for your purchases. I understand that eastern markets charge set prices, but here in the west, it’s a time-honored tradition to seek out the best bargain possible.”

Emppu gave the man a smile. “Thanks for letting us know. You’ve been quite helpful.”

“Thank you, gentlemen, and I wish you good fortune on your journey.”

“Thank you,” they chorused and made their way back to the common room of the hostel.

As soon as they exited the trading post, the attendant flipped the sign to ‘closed’ and hurried into the manager’s office within the hostel proper. “The god-sword’s been claimed!” he announced.

The manager, who’d been relaxing with his feet up on his desk, upended his chair in shock. “Seriously? By whom?”

“By that fellow with all the hair,” the attendant said. “I was helping his companions when he wandered a little ways off, just looking at some of the weapons on offer. Next thing I knew, he just walked right over to the big shield on the wall, reached behind it, and pulled the sword out, saying that he’d found his weapon.” He offered the manager a hand up.

“Did they say where they were going?” the manager wanted to know as he hauled himself to his feet and righted his chair.

The attendant shook his head. “Not in my hearing, anyway. But they seemed quite careful in their planning. They not only purchased weapons, but also clothing to better blend in and lessen the chances of attracting footpads.”

The manager frowned. “See if you or anyone else can find out their plans,” he said. “Most of these fool easterners are harmless enough, but when the child of a god picks up a sword left by his father… that suggests that a major change is about to happen somewhere. And that man with the hair is going to be in the middle of it.”

Back in the common room of the hostel, Tuomas looked increasingly uncomfortable. “Guys?” he said. “Let’s head up to make sure everything is packed properly.”

Emppu took one look at his expression and nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea, let’s go.” He led the group upstairs and into his own room, shutting the door firmly. “Tuomas, is anyone within hearing distance?”

The dark-haired man shook his head, relaxing just a little. “No, we can talk here, at least for the moment. I know we planned to leave in the morning, but I think we need to leave right away.”

Kai looked confused, but Marko frowned. “The sword?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Tuomas said. “Some people are nervous that it’s been claimed. Worried about what it might mean. There’s no active plotting, at least not yet. But at the very least, they want an eye kept on you at all times.”

Marko groaned. “Oh, that’s not good.”

“Can someone please explain a little more?” Kai requested. “Because I’m pretty sure I missed something along the way.”

“Tuomas can sense emotions,” Emppu explained. “The more intense the emotion, the more likely it is that he’ll pick up on it even when he’s trying not to. You saw how the guy in the shop was when Marko found that sword. Even money he went scampering off to report to someone the moment we left the place.”

Kai winced. “Right… in that case, I agree, we should head out now. They’re expecting us to leave in the morning, which gives them time to prepare someone to follow us. If we go now, we’ll probably still be followed, but we’ll have a bigger head start.”

“We should assume they know where we’re going,” Marko said with a sigh. “We certainly spoke openly enough over breakfast. If they really want to keep an eye on me, I’m sure they’ll question the servers and anyone else working here, to see if they’ve overheard our plans.”

“Too bad we’re not all sneaky little guys like Emppu,” Tuomas said, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little. “It would be nice to leave without anyone noticing.

Emppu looked thoughtful. “I’ve never tried to make anyone but myself go unnoticed, but it might be worth a shot. No guarantees, though.” Turning to Kai, he added, “One of my magical skills is to make myself unseen. Not invisible, just – no one will notice me if I don’t want them to. So, who wants to be my first experiment?”

“Me,” Marko said. “If you can only do one of us for whatever reason, better that I’m the one. Hopefully if they think I’m still up here, then even if they see you guys heading out, they might think we decided not to travel together after all.”

“Good thought,” Emppu said. “Kai, Tuomas, go look out the window for a bit.” He stared at Marko for a long moment, giving a nod as the bearded man seemed to shimmer slightly.

Tuomas looked puzzled as he turned back around. “Where’d Marko go?”

“Nowhere,” Emppu said. “Okay, it worked. I can still see him, but that makes sense as I’m the one who made him unnoticeable. Tuomas, you said the Marneville road is the southwest one?”

“Yes, that’s what Grandpa told me.”

“Mom told me the same,” Kai put in.

“All right. Marko, go get your gear while I work my magic on these two. Just walk right back in. Kai, let me get you next, then you grab your stuff while I do Tuomas,” Emppu said.

“I’ll get my stuff while you’re taking care of Kai,” Tuomas said.

“Sure,” Emppu said, concentrating his will on the drummer, who left to get his gear as Marko and Tuomas returned at nearly the same moment. Emppu proceeded to place the spell on Tuomas, then himself. “Okay… I can see all three of you, but you can’t see me or each other. Fortunately, I noticed this place keeps the front door open during the day, so we shouldn’t attract attention due to the door opening itself. We want to stay together, so we need to hold hands until the hostel is out of sight.” His mischievous side surfaced as he grabbed hold of Tuomas and Marko, thrusting their hands together. “Okay, that’s you two… Kai, I’m going to take your hand as well as Tuomas’s. You’ve got the lead until we’re safely out of here, Kai. Are we ready?”

“Yeah,” came three apparently disembodied voiced.

Emppu suppressed a snicker at the expressions on the three of them, when they realized they could hear but not see one another. “Let’s go, then.”

The four men carefully made their way down the stairs and through the common room, then out the door. Emppu breathed a silent sigh of relief that his spells had held up this far, at least, but still wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the hostel before he couldn’t keep them up any longer. He could already feel the strain.

For his part, Kai tried to keep a good pace to get them away from the hostel while at the same time, taking Emppu’s shorter strides into consideration. They managed to get a couple miles down the road before the guitarist started stumbling. Kai turned off the road into a grove of trees. “Let your spell go, Emppu,” he said. “We’re out of sight of the hostel and off the road as well.”

Almost immediately, all four men shimmered back into sight. Emppu dropped to the ground where he stood, putting his head down. “Oh, that wasn’t cool,” he mumbled. “I didn’t think it would take that much out of me.”

Tuomas looked at his old friend in concern. “Are you going to be able to keep going?” he asked.

“Not much choice, is there?” Emppu said. “If we don’t keep going, we lose the advantage we gained by leaving early.”

Kai tilted his head. “In what way do you feel bad?” he asked. “I… well, I’m stronger than I look, and I mean a lot stronger. I could carry you on my shoulders or something, but I don’t want you puking on my head.”

Emppu gave a weak version of his usual cheerful grin. “My stomach’s okay, but my head is pounding. Like the worst sinus headache ever.”

“Dad set me up with a first-aid kit,” Marko volunteered. “I’m sure there’s something in there that’ll help.” He let go of Tuomas’s hand, only just realizing their fingers were still entwined, and rummaged in his bag for the kit. He found a bottle of mild pain pills and offered a couple to Emppu along with a canteen.

“Thanks,” Emppu said, gulping the pills down gratefully.

Tuomas helped the little blond get settled on Kai’s broad shoulders as Marko repacked the kit. “Okay, people, let’s see how much farther we can go before dark.”

Marko shouldered his pack and gave Tuomas a smile. “After you – you and Kai are the ones who know which way to go if the road forks.”

Tuomas laughed and they set out once again, deciding to hike until they couldn’t see the road before camping, and just rely on their supplies for the night.

Once they stopped, Marko and Kai put up the tents while Emppu and Tuomas tried to turn their travel food into something resembling a tasty meal. “Who’s sleeping where?” Kai asked.

His head feeling much better between the pills and the time gone by, Emppu couldn’t help but poke a bit at his friends. “I’ll share your tent, if that’s alright, Kai, and Tuomas can sleep with Marko.”

“Works for me,” Kai said affably.

“Yeah… that works,” Marko echoed, very carefully not looking at Tuomas. As a result, he didn’t notice that Tuomas was just as carefully not looking at him.

Emppu noticed, though, and the little guitarist grinned to himself as he ate, eagerly anticipating his next opportunity to have a little fun at the pair’s expense.

*************************************

Tuomas woke up first, grateful that Marko was still sleeping when he realized his hand was resting on the bassist’s shoulder. He wasn’t quite spooned up around the bearded man, but he wasn’t far from it either. He carefully extracted himself from his bedroll and slipped out of the tent.

And stared in shock for a long moment. Kai was already awake and pounding away on one beauty of a drum kit… without making a sound. Considering that none of them had thought about the possible hazards of making an unusual amount of noise in the wilderness, he’d started to wonder if they’d be able to practice together.

Kai looked up about then and gestured for Tuomas to come closer. When the keyboardist got within six feet or so of the drums, he felt a slight tingle and then he could hear the steady rhythm of the double kick drums under the varying tones of the toms and snare. “Another ability, I presume?” Tuomas asked with a grin.

“The one that kept Mom sane,” Kai laughed. “She never did understand why, if I had to play an instrument, I couldn’t have chosen a harp or flute. But we never got noise complaints from the neighbors. I figure we might have to be pretty close together, but I can keep the sound wall up for at least an hour of practice time each day, without us needing to worry that the music will attract anyone who might be following us.” He pounded out a fill from one side of the kit to the other, ending with a precise strike on a cymbal, then stretched. “Does Emppu giggle in his sleep often, do you know?”

Tuomas facepalmed. “Only when he thinks he has teasing material – and I think I gave him some between yesterday and the day before. Feel perfectly free to shove him and tell him to shut up if he bothers you.”

Kai nodded. “Let me guess, you and Marko?”

“Does the idea bother you?” Tuomas asked.

“Nah. Two of the guys in my high school band were together,” Kai said. “Anyway, I noticed Marko’s face when Emppu said you could sleep with him. Something tells me he wouldn’t be against the idea.”

Tuomas sighed. “I’m scared,” he admitted softly. “Being an empath, well… mind if I show you?”

“Okay,” Kai said, looking puzzled. A moment later his face lit up with glee, then in a heartbeat, he went from beaming to scowling. Another moment later and he shook his head, looking at Tuomas in awe. “Dude, that was you doing that?”

“Yeah. Most of the time, I only project when I want to, but if my own emotions are running high, sometimes I ‘leak’ a little. It’s been a couple years, but there was this guy I liked a while back. I accidentally projected my feelings to him while we were on a school camping trip. Pure bliss for the weekend, but as soon as we weren’t anywhere near each other, he stopped feeling anything for me. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he spread rumors around the school, telling people I must have spiked his drink with something.” Tuomas closed his eyes against the memories. “For a year, Emppu was the only person anywhere near my age who spoke to me. I’m pretty sure his mother’s fame is the only reason the other kids didn’t ostracize him for supporting me. Well, that and they all knew we grew up like brothers, what with my mom working for his.”

Kai shook his head. “Oh, wow, that had to have sucked. Yeah, I can see why you’re hesitant now. I do think Marko might like you, though, but he does seem pretty shy.”

Tuomas smiled a little. “Well, it could be worse,” he said. “You and Emppu both think there might be something there. I’ve gotten a few more years of experience at not projecting accidentally since that time, and I think I can count on you both to smack me upside the head if I slip and Marko does suddenly start acting differently.”

“I can do that, no problem.” Kai looked around and sighed. “I probably ought to pack up for the day. I expect we’ll want to be on the road soon.”

“Yeah, as soon as we manage to get Emppu conscious,” Tuomas laughed. “Saying he’s not a morning person is like saying it’s a bit wet during a thunderstorm. True, but definitely an understatement.”

Kai laughed as well. “I hope you remembered coffee when you picked up the food supplies, then.” He started breaking down his kit and packing it away.

“I know better than to even try to travel with that little guy without the stuff,” Tuomas grinned, moving away to stir up the fire and set water on to heat. He tried shaking Emppu awake, to no avail. Then he poked his head into the tent he’d shared with Marko. “Hey,” he called softly. “Wake up, Marko.” He reached out and lightly tapped the bearded man’s shoulder. “Come on, wake up and get some coffee before we throw Emppu out of his blankets.”

And then he gave a soft yelp of surprise as Marko’s hair coiled around his wrist. “Whoa, Marko, it’s me, Tuomas. This is just a wake-up call.”

Marko opened his eyes, reaching for his new sword – and then realized who he’d just captured in his hair. “Oh… damn… I am so sorry, Tuomas,” he mumbled, letting go of the blade. “You startled me.” His hair slithered away from the keyboardist’s arm as he sat up. “Seriously, I did not mean to threaten you.”

“Hey, it happens. I should have thought to ask if there was anything I should or shouldn’t do if I ever needed to wake you,” Tuomas said. Then he grinned a little. “Besides, if you think that was a bad reaction to getting woken up, wait until you see what we’re probably gonna have to do to Emppu, and what he’ll be like once we do it.”

Marko grinned wryly. “Let me guess, his wake-up call usually involves a bucket of cold water?”

“Or ice chips.”

“You’re evil. I think I like that,” Marko said with a laugh. “Anyway, you said something about coffee before we bother getting him up?”

Tuomas chuckled. “Yeah, I put on enough water for two pots. One for him and one for the rest of us. Come on out when you’re ready and I’ll have a cup waiting for you.” He gave the bearded man a smile before ducking back out of the little tent.

Marko returned the smile, feeling a little lurch somewhere in the vicinity of his heart even as his mind cautioned him against reading too much into what was surely a simple friendly gesture. He got up and exited the tent, seeing Kai putting the last of his drum kit away, which surprised him. He rarely if ever slept so deeply that something like drums wouldn’t wake him up. But he shrugged and walked over to join Tuomas at the fire.

Tuomas handed him the promised cup of coffee. “And now that you’re awake and moving, good morning,” he said with another smile.

“Good morning, and thank you for this,” Marko said, raising his cup before taking a sip.

“You’re welcome,” Tuomas said, pouring a cup for Kai and leaving it by the fire. “I think tonight we should stop early enough to get some practice in. I discovered that Kai can keep us from being overheard, on the chance there’s anyone around that we might not want hearing us.”

“Oh, wow! Is that why I didn’t hear him drumming this morning?” Marko asked.

“Yeah, that’s why,” Kai said as he strolled over to claim his coffee. “I told Tuomas already, we’ll probably have to bunch up pretty closely around my kit, but I can keep up the sound wall for an hour or more, no problem.”

Tuomas handed Kai the cup of coffee he’d set aside. “Okay, drink up, because it might take all three of us to get Emppu moving. I’ve already shaken his shoulder twice and he hasn’t responded.”

Kai laughed and quaffed the drink as Marko finished his cup as well. “Okay, so how are we supposed to do this?” he asked. “You’re the one who knows the guy, Tuomas.”

“Hmm… Marko, think you could grab him with your hair and drag him out of the tent? Sometimes even moving him like that doesn’t wake him, but if it does, he’s likely to flail around and if he’s in your hair rather than any of us physically pulling him, he won’t land any punches by accident,” Tuomas said. “Also, if that doesn’t wake him, we can resort to dousing him with cold water without soaking his bedroll as well.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Marko nodded. “Tie back the tent flap, though, so I don’t get caught in it.”

Tuomas obliged, then watched in fascination as Marko took up a position about three feet in front of the tent.

Marko shook out his hair, which seemed to move and drift around him, then he took up a power stance and headbanged sharply in the sleeping guitarist’s direction. His hair snapped forward, seeming to extend in length as it coiled around Emppu’s shoulders and upper arms. Straightening up once more, Marko stepped back about two feet, pulling the other man out of his blankets and into the grass in front of the tent.

That grass still being wet with the chilly morning dew and him being clad only in a pair of boxers, Emppu yelped and started swinging even as Marko’s hair released its grip. “What the fuck! It’s cold! Why am I wet?” He peered around focused on Tuomas, standing there with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Oh… I guess I overslept again?”

“Yeah,” Tuomas said. “There’s plenty of coffee, but we need to move out pretty soon. Drink one cup before getting dressed so you don’t fall asleep again putting on your socks, then pull your bag out so we can pack the tent.”

“M’kay,” Emppu said with a sigh. “I fucking hate mornings.”

“It’s not mornings you hate,” Marko said. “It’s getting up before your body thinks you’re done sleeping that you hate.”

The little guitarist gulped his coffee, then grimaced and tugged at his boxers where they stuck to his left butt cheek due to his landing in the wet grass. “There’s no difference from this end,” he grumbled, moving into the tent and shucking off the damp shorts without bothering to close the flap.

The other three just shook their heads and got to work packing up the tent Marko and Tuomas had shared. By the time they were done, Emppu had re-emerged fully dressed and was busily drinking more coffee. “How soon do we leave?” he asked, already looking more alert and beginning to regain his usual sunny demeanor.

“As soon as we’re packed,” Kai said, moving to the tent and starting to break it down. Marko hurried to help. “Granola bars for breakfast once we’re moving again.”

Emppu made a slight face at that but shrugged and went to help Tuomas put out the fire and generally police the campsite. Within half an hour, they were back on the road to Marneville.


	5. Chapter 5

They hiked along at a steady pace, only pausing for a brief snack around midday, then stopping with about an hour until sunset. They set up the tents and built a fire, putting together a soup from their travel food and letting it simmer while they all helped Kai set up his drum kit. The other three pulled out their instruments and gathered around the drums, watching as Kai walked in a circle around them, appearing to pull something unseen from the earth. When he completed the circle, they could no longer hear any birdsong or other natural noises.

“We’re good to go,” Kai said. “What do you guys usually warm up with?”

Tuomas laughed. “We’ve only played together once before, and that was on the train,” he said. “We taught each other some of the original melodies we’ve written, and I came up with lyrics for one of Marko’s songs.”

“We can figure it out as we go along,” Emppu said with a smile. “Have you written any music, Kai?”

The drummer shook his head. “No, that’s not something I’ve tried.”

“Well, feel free to jump in with how you think the drums should sound with this and we can figure out together what works and what doesn’t,” Tuomas suggested. He turned to Marko and Emppu, saying, “Start with Sacrament of Wilderness?”

“Let’s do it,” Marko said with a smile.

He waited as Emppu tore into the opening riff, coming in with the bass on the second repeat. Kai listened for a bit, then started pounding out a steady beat. By the time they called it done for the night, they’d worked out the drums for three songs and Tuomas was grinning like a loon.

They decided to eat before packing their gear and over the meal, decreed that Kai was permanently exempt from dinner cleanup since his drum kit took so much time and effort to set up and pack again. After the meal, Marko spent some time practicing with his new sword, quickly developing a feel for the weapon. Tuomas did an empathic check before turning in, hoping to get an idea if anyone was following them, but the only people he sensed were his companions. This quickly became the group’s routine over the next several days, until they reached Marneville.

As they waited to cross the toll bridge into town, they saw one of the toll-takers glance in their direction and freeze for a moment. The man gave a sharp whistle and a young boy trotted out of the little shelter by the gate. The toll-taker paused in his work to scribble a note, giving it to the lad, who promptly vanished into the town at a run.

Marko grimaced. “Guys? Maybe nobody followed us, but I’d guess someone heard we planned on coming here and sent a message somehow. We’ve been noticed, and I’d bet my bass that kid’s off to alert someone a bit higher up the food chain than the toll-takers.”

Tuomas shrugged. “We have legitimate business here,” he pointed out. “I’ve been sent by my grandfather to collect the rent on his property here, and Kai’s been tasked with checking on the welfare of his mother’s stepsister. While I suppose they could decide they don’t want you here, Marko, if they refuse you entry, we’ll make camp outside of town and Kai and I will shop for more supplies as soon as we’ve finished our other business, then we’ll leave immediately.”

“Besides, what excuse are they gonna give for keeping you out anyway?” Emppu asked. “Just because whatever god sired you left a sword for you to find doesn’t mean you plan on taking over as mayor here. I mean, seriously, your mother wasn’t even from Bordeaux, you said, she was from – or at least grew up in – Corona.”

“True,” Marko said, some of the tension leaving his shoulders with the support from his friends. “I guess I’m just nervous.”

“It’s allowed,” Tuomas said. “Just remember, we’re here for you the same as you’re here for us.”

“I know, and I appreciate it, Tuomas,” Marko said softly. On impulse, he reached out and gave the keyboardist’s hand a light squeeze to emphasize his gratitude – and for a split second, felt a burst of joy before it vanished again as Tuomas looked down and swallowed hard.

Emppu looked at both their expressions and sighed. He’d really been hoping they might figure it out on their own, but he was starting to think Marko had as many issues with relationships as Tuomas did. Problem was, he didn’t know Marko’s issues – yet – and so he’d need to talk to the guy and find out what they were so he could offer advice. As they shuffled forward in the line of people waiting to be admitted to Marneville, he nudged the bassist. “I need to talk to you later, okay? Once we know where we’re staying and all, Tuomas and Kai can head out to do the stuff they came to do, and you and I can talk,” he said quietly. Grinning a bit, he added, “I’ll try not to make you too uncomfortable.”

Marko couldn’t help but snort at that, grinning back at the guitarist. “Now I’m scared, dude, you seem to live to make people uncomfortable!”

Clowning around now, Emppu bowed mockingly. “That’s right, I offer snark and sarcasm, along with dirty jokes and all the foul language necessary to make even a sailor blush. And you, too, may have the benefits of my skills for the low, low price of all the coffee and beer I can drink!”

Tuomas, Kai, and Marko laughed, as did several men near them in the queue, although a few prim-looking women gave disdainful sniffs and pointedly turned away.

To the surprise of none of them, by the time they got to the tollgate, a second man, this one with much more gold braid on his uniform, had joined the toll-taker. “Please follow me,” the official said. He led them a little way off from the gate and the guard-shelter, into a proper gatehouse set against the walls of the town.

The four men looked at each other in confusion but didn’t say anything, simply following the official and waiting for him to speak again.

The official frowned a little, having hoped they would protest being pulled aside and in doing so, reveal something of their plans. “We here in Marneville are… wary of groups of easterners invading our community. Why have you chosen to come here?”

Sensing at least one hidden person in the room and speaking formally since this man had the power to deny them entry, Tuomas gave the man a half-bow, saying, “Sir, perhaps you’ve heard of Maurice the Inventor? I am his grandson, Tuomasell. He may live in the east now, but he still owns property here in Marneville, which he rents out. As he is growing infirm with age, Grandfather asked me to make the journey in his place, to collect the year’s rent and see to any necessary repairs to the property.”

“What about the others?”

“Kaiderel is the son of another woman originally from Marneville,” Tuomas said. “His mother regularly exchanged letters with her stepsister and grew concerned when the letters stopped coming some months ago. She asked her son to come here to see if something happened. We met at the hostel at the train terminal, and upon learning we both had business here, chose to travel together for safety in numbers.”

Kai stepped forward and gave the officer the same sort of half-bow Tuomas had.

“And them?” the official indicated Marko and Emppu.

“Emppunel is a friend from the east, who chose to travel with me for the sake of seeing more of Fantasmus,” Tuomas explained. “He and I shared a carriage on the train with Markopunzel, and as we share a love of music, we became friendly over the course of the journey and decided to travel together.”

Marko took a deep breath and bowed. “My mother grew up somewhere in Corona. However, she was raised by a foster-mother and never knew her parentage. She said her foster-mother told her that one day she would tell her who her parents were, but not until the time was right. Unfortunately, my mother became pregnant with me and her foster-mother threw her out without giving her that information. My mother intended to go to Corona herself one day, to seek out her heritage. While dying of injuries suffered in an accident a few months ago, my mother asked me to take up the task in her place, so here I am,” he said. “As the errands Tuomasell and Kaiderel have here in Marneville shouldn’t take all that much time, we decided as a group to come here first so that we could take what time we need in seeking my mother’s heritage.”

“I see,” the official said. He looked down at his desk, shuffling some of the papers there while he thought. With the two of them having actual business in Marneville, he really couldn’t forbid them entry, and since they were traveling as a group, that meant letting them all in. Oddly enough, despite the message from the terminal warning them that the man with the insanely long hair had claimed the sword supposedly left by a god, he actually felt more nervous about letting the short one in, the tourist. Something about that man’s demeanor bothered him, although he couldn’t put his finger on why. He sighed. “Very well,” he said abruptly. “The toll for each man afoot is two silver. I highly recommend that you stay at the Green Unicorn, in case you need to be found at any time.”

“Yes, Sir,” Tuomas said. He dug in his pack, pulling out the requested coins, as did the others. They all handed their fees over to the official, then Tuomas asked, “How do we get to the Green Unicorn?”

The official gave them directions to the inn and watched as they left. His aide emerged from his hiding spot and shook his head. “Everything they told you is true, Sir,” the aide said. “May I ask what concerned them so much at the terminal that they messaged us to keep a watch on these people?

“Paranoia, most likely,” the official grumbled. “You’re too young to remember, but a little more than twenty years back, some… person… turned up at the terminal and left a sword at the trading post, saying his son would eventually show up to claim it. At first, everyone at the trading post thought he was just spinning a good yarn, but then people working the trading post started telling stories of the sword vanishing when a would-be purchaser wanted to see it, only to turn up after the person bought something else. Usually turned up in ridiculous places, too, like in a sack of potatoes or strapped to a beer keg.”

The aide chuckled.

“Anyway,” the official continued, “The fellow working the trading post this month had just finished hanging up some shields for display when those four showed up looking for weapons. And while he was helping one of the others, the one with all the hair reached behind a shield and pulled out the sword, saying he’d found his weapon.”

“Oh…” The aide looked thoughtful. “Well, in that case, I can understand a bit of caution. Still, I had them under an honesty spell the whole time you had them in here, and they were all telling the truth about why they’re in the west.”

“Which almost makes me wonder if it might be worth warning them that the people at the terminal are convinced that the one with the hair is here to fulfill some sort of Grand Destiny since he found the sword and have sent messages out warning people to be on the watch for him.”

“I wouldn’t bother, sir,” the aide said. “I expect they’ve already guessed.”

**************************************

The foursome checked into the Green Unicorn as requested, since it turned out to be in a reasonably good neighborhood and had good rates. They hoped they’d be in town for less than a week but could easily afford to stay longer if needed. Unlike the hostel, the Green Unicorn hosted people two in a room instead of private accommodations, so they decided to remain in their tent pairings to sleep. As it was still early in the afternoon, Tuomas decided to try to find his grandfather’s house, accompanied by Kai who wasn’t quite sure how to go about looking for his Aunt Anastasia beyond asking random people if they knew anyone by that name.

Once the other two left, Emppu tapped on Marko’s door. “Hey… mind if we have that chat now?”

Marko shook his head, waving the guitarist inside. “I guess not. At least it’ll be private, yeah? Take a seat,” he said, gesturing to the beds since there were no chairs in the tiny rooms.

Emppu nodded. “Okay, so… am I completely delusional, or do you like Tuomas?”

“Okay, that’s a damned personal question to lead off with,” Marko said, blushing and looking away.

“He likes you, dumbass,” Emppu said. “So why the hells aren’t you doing something about it?”

Marko shook his head. “I think you’re wrong. He’s just nice, he doesn’t like me,” he said, looking away to try to keep the guitarist from seeing the hopelessness in his eyes. “Not like that, anyway.”

Emppu closed his eyes for a moment. “What makes you think that?” he asked carefully.

“Why would someone as beautiful as him like a bearded freak like me?”

Yep, Marko had issues. Emppu shook his head. “What in the hells makes you think you’re a freak?”

Marko shrugged. “How many fourteen-year-old boys have beards long enough to braid?” he retorted. “I know why Mom never wanted me to cut my hair, and I know she was right because of the magic, but she never had to go through school with girls trying to use her for an extra jump rope and boys trying to tie her to the schoolyard fence on a daily basis. She never had ten different people turn her down when she asked them to prom, because they thought being seen with the gross, hairy, bearded weirdo would ruin their reputations.” He took a deep breath. “It got a little better once I started uni, but even there, I’m the freak with the hair.”

Emppu frowned. “You’re no more a freak than I am. Or do you think I’m a freak because I can keep myself and others unnoticed?”

“Well, no, but…”

“No buts. You are not a freak, Marko,” Emppu said firmly. “Is Tuomas a freak because he projected that happiness for a moment while we were waiting to get through the toll-gate?”

“Of course not,” Marko said. “I did wonder why it happened when I felt it, though.”

Emppu shook his head. “Dude, pay better attention. He was that happy because you smiled at him and squeezed his hand.”

Marko’s jaw dropped. “But… but…”

“Marko, I’m serious,” Emppu said. “Tuomas. Likes. You. He’s just scared that he’ll…” He hesitated a moment but shook his head and pressed on. “Look. I’m probably breaking a confidence here, so I’d appreciate if you don’t let on that I told you, but… a few years ago, Tuomas tried to use his empathy to see if he might have a chance with this guy he had a crush on. Only he wasn’t as good with his control back then, and he projected his own feelings, which made the other kid think he liked Tuomas. They were inseparable for a weekend, but as soon as they weren’t physically near each other, the other kid stopped liking him. Ever since then, Tuomas has been deathly afraid of ‘making’ someone else like him. You’re the first person he’s even admitted to finding attractive since that time. But he’s so busy trying to make sure he doesn’t somehow nudge you into returning his feelings that he’s never going to chance telling you about them.”

“Oh…” Marko looked up, his cheeks flaming. “What do you think I should do, then?”

Emppu smiled. “Either tell him how you feel or show him. As Mom would say, just kiss him and get it over with already.”

“You really think it might work?”

Seeing the worry in Marko’s eyes, Emppu reached out and gave the bearded man a light, one-armed hug. “Yeah, I think it’ll work. And if he does start to panic that he projected and ‘made’ you like him, I’ll slap him upside the head for you, I promise. He’s my brother in all but blood, like you said Zach is to you, so I want him happy. I think you two could be very good for one another, as long as one of you gets off your ass and actually gets something started between you.”

Marko laughed at that, relaxing just a little. “And just how did you get so smart when it comes to relationships?” he asked. “You come across as a… a partier, rather than someone who wants to settle down.”

“I do come across like that, don’t I?” Emppu said. “Oh, I definitely enjoy practical jokes and teasing and flirting and all, but I grew up with people wanting to get close to me because my mom is so well-known. So, you know, get in good with me, then ‘persuade’ me to get Mom to do whatever favor for them. My lovable asshole persona is really a bit of a defense mechanism. I figure if someone wants to get to know me, they’ll take the time to see what’s underneath the goofball.” He grinned wryly. “So yeah, I would like to find someone who’s right for me, but I’m so defensive that anyone meeting me just wants to use me that I tend to act the idiot to keep them at arm’s length.”

Marko couldn’t help but grin a bit. “I think between me, you, and Tuomas, we’ve got enough issues to start our own magazine.”

Emppu laughed so hard he fell off the bed.


	6. Chapter 6

That evening, when Kai and Tuomas had returned, the foursome asked the innkeeper if there was a place they could practice their music. The man’s eyes widened, and he smiled. “You’re musicians? Oh, wonderful! Could I persuade you to perform in the common room before you leave? I had engaged a minstrel to entertain my patrons for a week beginning three days from now, but I’ve just received word that he’s accepted a permanent position elsewhere and won’t be coming. I understand you planned to leave in a week, but I’d be happy to offer free room and board for any days you perform while you’re still here – and if you’re able to delay your other business, free room and board for the entire week you’d be replacing that minstrel.”

Tuomas looked at Marko, who shrugged. “My business can wait, but can we perform to the local expectations?” he murmured. “I don’t know how well they’ll appreciate the stuff we do. And more to the point, can we come up with a full enough set list with just me singing? You’ve got some great songs, but so many of them are written for a woman’s voice.”

“Yeah, well,” Tuomas shrugged a little. “There was this girl back in school, Emppu and I almost persuaded her to form the band with us, so a lot of what I wrote, I wrote with her voice in mind. But she met up with this agent who married her and then convinced her she’d have more success on her own.” He looked at the innkeeper and said, “Let us talk it over while we practice this evening. We’ve only just recently started playing together, and if we’re going to perform in public, we want to make sure we won’t embarrass ourselves. If we decide we’d like to try, I’d like you to hear what we do and decide if it’s acceptable for you and your patrons. The music we play is… quite different from anything I’ve heard since coming here. It’s also quite loud.”

“Our practices won’t disturb anyone,” Kai added, “as I have the ability to create a barrier to keep any sound from being heard away from where I am. But if we’re to perform, I won’t be able to use the barrier.”

“I see,” the innkeeper said, looking puzzled. “Well, that’s fair enough. I hope you’ll be kind enough to indulge my curiosity and play something for me before you leave even if you decide you’re not up to performing together quite yet?”

“Sure, we can do that,” Tuomas said with a nod.

The innkeeper smiled. “You can use the carriage-house if that will work for you to practice in. We don’t have any freight wagons due in for the next couple of weeks, so there ought to be plenty of room for whatever you might need, while being out of the way of people coming and going.”

“I’m sure it will be fine, and we appreciate the use of it,” Tuomas said.

“Please let me know as soon as you can, if you’d like to try performing,” the innkeeper said before returning to the bar to assist with the late afternoon rush of people stopping in for drinks before returning home from their businesses.

The foursome headed out to the carriage-house and set up their gear. Kai put up the sound barrier and they got to work. After a couple of hours, Kai let the barrier drop again and they discussed a possible set list as they helped him disassemble and pack his kit.

“Okay, The Islander is a definite,” Marko said. “And I managed Sleeping Sun well enough along with Eva. I think I can pull off Nemo as well. But as much as I love Sacrament of Wilderness, my voice just can’t do that one justice.”

“It’s probably also too heavy for the local taste anyway. We don’t have to stick with just originals, though,” Emppu pointed out. “It’s not like these people are going to have any clue what we’re playing anyway, so let’s think of some tunes we all know. Honestly, even with the genius over there writing music, we all know we played covers more than anything else back home.”

Kai nodded his agreement. “True enough. My band didn’t play anything but covers.”

“Nor did mine,” Marko said.

They spent another hour or so working out a set list they could agree on, then headed back into the inn proper. They stowed their gear back in their rooms before returning to the common room for the evening meal. After eating, Tuomas found the innkeeper and told him they’d be practicing earlier the following day, so if he wished to hear for himself the sort of music they played, he should come to the carriage-house after the midday meal and before the bar filled up at the end of the workday. The man agreed.

Fed and with drinks in hand, the foursome moved from the trestle tables to more comfortable chairs near the hearth. “So, since we got busy with practice almost as soon as you two got back, how’d your business go today?” Emppu asked Kai and Tuomas.

“Mine went well,” Tuomas said. “The rent’s been paid, and no major repairs were needed. One window is cracked and needs replacing, but I’ve already talked to the local glassworks and paid them to do just that.”

“Well, I don’t know for sure what’s happened to Aunt Anastasia,” Kai said, “but I confirmed where she lived. Her husband was a baker, and they had a fire. He died and the place burned down. One person said she thought Anastasia went to live with her son and his wife across town, but someone else said she heard Anastasia went to live with her daughter and her husband in the capital city. They both agreed she was hurt in the fire, though, and may not be up to writing yet.”

Marko winced. “I’m sorry, Kai. I hope you find her soon and that she’ll make a full recovery.”

“Me too,” Kai said. “She helped Mom, so I’d like to help her if I can.”

“We’ll all contribute for anything she might need, once you find her,” Tuomas said after exchanging glances with Marko and Emppu.

“Thanks, guys,” Kai said, his voice husky.

Naturally, Emppu decided the mood needed breaking. “Looks like they’ve got a dart board by the bar. Anyone up for a game?”

“Sure,” Kai said.

“Not me, it’s too easy for my hair to get in my eyes,” Marko joked.

Tuomas laughed. “If you want, Marko, we can go work more on Nemo before we turn in. Just your acoustic guitar and singing shouldn’t bother the neighbors.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Marko said. “See you two in the morning, then. Have fun playing darts.” He drained his mug and stood up, heading upstairs.

Tuomas followed. Once in the room, he dug out the music for Nemo and they ran through the song twice. “All right,” he decided, “I think that’s good. You’ve got a great vocal range, Marko, I wasn’t sure a male voice would work here, but you pull it off nicely.”

“I think it would sound better with a woman singing, the way you originally intended,” Marko said, “but since we don’t have one of those right now, I suppose I’ll have to do.”

“I think the audience will love you – unless the innkeeper hates our sound and decides he doesn’t want us playing at all,” Tuomas said with a grin.

Marko closed his guitar case carefully. “I don’t really care what the audience thinks of me,” he said softly. “They’re strangers. Why should I care what strangers think? I do care what you think of me, though.”

Tuomas froze. Had he…?

Marko continued speaking. “When Emppu spoke with me earlier, he told me I needed to open my eyes and see that I wasn’t imagining things – and also that if I was interested, I’d need to make the first move. I really hope he was right.” He took a step forward and reached out towards Tuomas, gently brushing one stray curl back behind the keyboardist’s ear. Trailing his fingers down over Tuomas’s jawline, he leaned in and softly kissed his lips.

Tuomas lifted one trembling hand to Marko’s face, fingers twining in his silky beard. As Marko pulled back, he gave the bassist a shaky smile. “Emppu was right,” he whispered. “He said you liked me… that I didn’t have to be scared I’d make you like me. But I was scared all the same.”

“And I didn’t think someone as beautiful as you could possibly like a walking hairball like me,” Marko admitted. “I was scared to get my hopes up. Scared I’d lose you as a friend if you discovered I wanted us to be more than just friends.”

“Shh.” Tuomas laid a finger over Marko’s lips. “Never believe you are anything but beautiful.”

Marko blushed. “I don’t… I never… No one’s ever called me beautiful,” he whispered.

“Forgive me if I’m glad the whole world was blind, then,” Tuomas said. “I’m selfishly glad people were too stupid to see the treasure in you, because they left that treasure for me to try to win for myself.”

“It’s been yours from the first,” Marko said. “I just… I didn’t know how to tell you so. I’ve never… had someone in my life before.”

“I haven’t either,” Tuomas said. “But I’m glad it’s you in my life now.” Throwing caution to the wind, he leaned in and kissed Marko hungrily, wrapping his arms around the bassist and pulling him close.

Marko wasn’t sure how long the two of them stayed in each other’s arms. It could have been minutes or hours before the outside world – in the form of Emppu’s teasing voice – intruded.

“Hey, I hope it’s that quiet in there because you two are finally making out, and not because one of you freaked out and ran,” the guitarist called from just outside their door.

“Dude, give them a break,” Kai said, although they could hear him laughing.

“Should we kill him now or in the morning?” Tuomas grumbled. Marko noticed the corners of his mouth twitching, though, as if he was trying not to smile.

Marko chuckled. “We’ll get him back later. He’ll meet someone he’s serious about one of these days, and we’ll have sweet, sweet revenge.” Raising his voice, he called out, “Just remember, Emppu, be nice or we’ll stop making coffee while we’re on the road.”

“Cruel and unusual punishment! But I’ll shut up now,” Emppu laughed. They heard the door to his and Kai’s room open and close again.

Tuomas grinned. “Would you really want to put up with him when he’s been deprived of coffee?”

“Of course not,” Marko said. “But I’m not going to tell him that!”

“Oh good. I’ve seen him in that state once and it wasn’t pretty,” Tuomas said. “We probably ought to turn in ourselves. I know we’re not rehearsing before midday, but I thought it might be nice if we all went along with Kai tomorrow morning, for moral support.” He hesitated, then asked, “Would you… would you share my bed tonight? Just to sleep… I don’t want to rush into anything. But I can’t think of anything nicer than waking up with my arms around you.”

Marko smiled. “I can’t think of a nicer way to wake up, than in your arms.”

**************************************

They all got up at a decent hour, even Emppu, and accompanied Kai to the far side of Marneville, to what – according to the woman he’d spoken with yesterday - was the home of his Aunt Anastasia’s son Konstantin. He tapped at the door, the other three hanging back a little.

“May I help you?” asked the man who opened the door. He had auburn hair and a small goatee.

“Possibly,” Kai said. “Are you Konstantin, son of Anastasia? And is she here? I came to Marneville seeking her, and her former neighbors gave me conflicting information as to where she moved after the fire. Oh, my name is Kaiderel. I’m her stepsister Cinderella’s son.”

“I’m Konstantin, yes,” the man said with a smile. “Please, won’t you and your companions come in? Mother will be pleased to see some new faces – her hands are still bandaged from the fire and I know she’s bored because there’s so much she can’t yet do for herself.” He waved them all inside and into a comfortable sitting room, where an older woman with hair to match her son’s gazed out the window at a birdfeeder and a finch eating from it. “Mother? You have company.”

Anastasia turned, looking surprised at seeing the quartet of young men. “Goodness… do I know any of you?” she asked.

Kai stepped forward and bowed. “You might know me from my mother’s letters,” he said. “I’m Kaiderel. Mom got worried when your letters stopped coming and sent me to see if you were all right.”

“Kaiderel? Cinderella’s boy?” Anastasia beamed. “You’ve gotten so big! Cinderella sent me pictures, you know. Photographs, she said they were called. Not at all like the painted portraits we have around here, but they’re such good likenesses! They all got destroyed in the fire, though. But please, sit down, introduce your friends, and tell me everything Cinderella’s been up to since her last letter!”

Kai obliged, and the group spent a couple of hours chatting. He promised to write to Cinderella that night to let her know what happened and ask her to send copies of all the pictures she’d sent over the years. He also promised that he, whether alone or with the others, would visit daily until they left Marneville again.

Anastasia also had a message for Tuomas to pass along to his mother. “I didn’t know Belle personally,” she said, “since I’m a few years older than she is. But all of Marneville remembers what happened. Since she left town, she probably didn’t hear, but… that horrible Gaston finally got what he deserved. The authorities wouldn’t hang him for the murder, you know, because the man she married was a werewolf. But it turned out Gaston tried to force his attentions onto a few other girls as well as Belle, and one of them had a brother who snuck into the jail and poisoned him when the girl admitted what happened. I thought Belle might gain a bit of closure, knowing that animal won’t ever hurt anyone else.”

Tuomas smiled. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll be sure to tell my mother. Unfortunately, we do need to leave for the moment. We’re supposed to play for our innkeeper, as he’s asked us to replace a hired minstrel who canceled on him. We’re willing but warned him that the music we know is very, very different from what’s common around here, so he’s agreed to give us a listen before deciding if he wants to take a chance on us or not.”

Anastasia laughed. “All right, well, if he does want you to play, let us know! We might not like the music, but we’ll come and see you perform at least once, since Kaiderel is my nephew. Besides, who knows? Perhaps you’ll start a new fashion in music. Honestly, we could probably use it. It’s been nearly thirty years since the ball when Cinderella met the prince of Bordeaux and the minstrels are still playing the same dozen tunes.” She got up and hugged Kai in farewell. “Make sure you come back tomorrow and let us know when you’ll be playing!”

“We will! See you tomorrow! Goodbye!” They took their leave and hurried back to the Green Unicorn.

In the carriage-house, they started setting up Kai’s drum kit. The innkeeper entered, and stopped short, his jaw dropping. “What in the world…?”

Kai grinned. “That, sir, is what’s known back east as a drum kit.” He gestured to the amps for the microphone, guitar, bass, and keys. “And those are amplifiers. We’re keeping the sound turned low, but… well, as you can see, we weren’t kidding when we said our music wasn’t like anything you likely heard before.”

“So I see,” the man said, looking uncertain. “Still, I might as well hear something of what you play before deciding if it’s worth taking a chance having you perform.”

“Over the Hills and Far Away?” Tuomas said, looking at the other three. “That’s probably the hardest banger of the stuff we picked for a possible set list. If that one’s acceptable, everything else should be fine.”

“Works for me,” Marko said.

“Sure thing,” Emppu added.

The innkeeper peered at the unfamiliar instruments, taking an especially long time over the keyboards. “I don’t understand how these could work… it’s like a piano keyboard, but where’s the rest of the piano?”

Tuomas smiled. “There is no rest of the piano. You’ll see.”

Kai took his seat and raised his sticks. “Ready on the firing line.”

Marko gave a nod. “Let’s go!”

Kai’s hands came down, pounding out the opening drumbeats of the song. Marko came in with the vocals, then Emppu and Tuomas followed with the guitar and keys.

As the song came to an end, the innkeeper looked indecisive. “I don’t know… I suppose I can see some appeal, but it’s just so… so different!”

“Would you like to hear one more song, something a bit less aggressive?” Tuomas asked.

“Yes, please, if you don’t mind,” the innkeeper said.

“Sleeping Sun?” Marko suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Kai agreed.

Tuomas made an adjustment to his keyboards and started playing the intro. He smothered a grin at the innkeeper’s confusion when the keys produced an entirely different sound than in the previous song.

Marko came in with the bass as he started singing, his voice pitched a little lower and dreamier sounding to better fit with the music and lyrics.

When they finished, the innkeeper smiled. “All right… I think I’m going to take a chance on you gentlemen. However, I don’t want to commit to a full week either – not meaning any insult to your music, but if the locals decide they don’t like it, my business will suffer. Are you willing to perform for two days? If they like what they hear, they’ll return for the second evening – and if they don’t, one night of reduced custom won’t hurt my business too badly. Then if they do like it, we can talk about you remaining for the full week or even longer.” He paused, then added, “I’ll knock off the cost of your rooms for any night you perform, and you’re welcome to set out a hat for tips as well.”

Tuomas looked at the others. “That seems fair to me,” he said. “What do you guys think?”

“I don’t think any of us owns a hat,” Emppu joked, “but yeah, that seems fair considering how unusual our music is here.”

“Wonderful!” the innkeeper said. “So, you’re all right with your first performance being the day after tomorrow? That’s when that minstrel was supposed to start.”

“Sure,” Marko said with a smile. “And that will give us a couple more days to practice and decide what order to play the songs in and all that.”

“Oh, you won’t just… no, of course not,” the innkeeper started to ask before answering his own question. “Silly of me to figure you’d take requests like the local minstrels would, when you aren’t familiar with the local popular music.”

Kai chuckled. “No, we’re not. Although I understand the local popular music hasn’t changed much in the last thirty years. Maybe you’ll be lucky, and people are tired of the same old thing and so will come flocking in to see us.”

The innkeeper laughed. “From your lips to the gods’ ears, my friend. I’d best get back inside and let you gentlemen get back to your practice.” He gave them a smile and left the carriage-house.

Once he was gone, Emppu grinned. “So… what are we calling the band, anyway?”


	7. Chapter 7

On the evening of their first performance, Anastasia showed up early, escorted by Konstantin and his wife. “Oh my!” she said, watching them set up their equipment. “Now I see why you said your music was going to sound quite unusual!”

Kai popped his head up from where he was anchoring his snare in place. “Hello, Aunt Anastasia! Are you ready for an experience like no other you’ve ever heard?”

“I think so, anyway,” she laughed.

“Just be aware, it’s going to be loud,” Marko cautioned her. “You might want to sit near the back of the room, instead of up front, to save your ears a bit.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Konstantin said with a chuckle, “although I’m not sure Mother will take it.” He pointed behind himself, where Anastasia had already claimed a seat at a table that stood front and center. He and his wife shrugged and joined her there.

More and more people filled the common room, most of them looking quite curious. Marko stepped up to his microphone, trying not to let his nerves show too much. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Green Unicorn! We are Nightwish, direct from Suomellen in the eastern realms, and we’d like to start our show with a song called Sleeping Sun!” 

Tuomas played the intro and they got swept up in the music, as did the younger half of their audience. They mixed the few originals they’d agreed upon with plenty of cover tunes, not that this audience had any idea that they were covers, and Marko noticed several people singing along with the second or third choruses of some of the songs. He even saw a few of the younger members of the crowd headbanging to the harder songs.

By the end of their set, the common room had become crowded to where the servers had trouble getting drinks to the tables, yet no one seemed to be complaining. And Emppu’s guitar case, which they’d set out in lieu of a hat, was half-full of coins of various denominations. “Well, folks, all good things must come to an end,” Marko said, “and that does include our show. One final song to relax with, and we hope everyone had fun. We’ll be here again tomorrow and hope to see you then! Here is The Islander!” By the second verse, the entire crowd was swaying in unison to the music. A few women even had tears in their eyes. The applause as they took their final bows had them all smiling as they started breaking down their gear.

Their second show proved just as successful as the first, with people crowding into the common room of the Green Unicorn a full two hours before they were scheduled to begin. To accommodate the crowd, the innkeeper set up makeshift tables and benches in the stable-yard, then opened the large doors at the rear of the common room that normally only saw use when shipments of beer and wine arrived, as the tuns of beer and hogsheads of wine didn’t fit through the standard door. This allowed him to serve double the number of people as the previous evening.

Tuomas grew concerned near the end of the set, however, sensing an undercurrent of annoyance over near the bar. He peered over as they played, trying to see if he could spot the disturbance. Several men, including at least one member of the Town Watch by the uniform, gathered around the innkeeper, gesticulating towards the crowd as they spoke to him. He appeared to be attempting to placate them, or at least to get them to wait until the show ended before continuing the discussion.

As they took their bows, he murmured to Emppu, “Grab your case with our tips and do your thing to get it out of here unnoticed as soon as you can. Something’s not right and while I don’t sense anyone’s hostile to us, I’d rather our hard-earned cash not become a victim if there’s a brawl about to happen.”

“Will do,” Emppu said with a nod as he smiled and waved to the cheering audience. If anything, their take tonight was even bigger than the previous evening, so he didn’t blame his friend for being a little jumpy when it came to securing the money. Tuomas and Marko stepped forward to greet people in the audience while he and Kai started breaking down the gear. He closed the case and slid it behind the drums. Too many people crowded around the stage for him to slip away unnoticed, but he was able to vanish the coin-filled case from people’s view before sliding it into one of their space-expanded bags.

Just in time, too, as several young men barged their way behind the drum kit to question Kai and himself about their instruments and how long it took them to learn to play. All four of them had to explain several times that the instruments they played normally used a power source not found in the west, but that they’d been engraved with runes allowing them to draw power from the ambient magic in order to work despite the usual power source being unavailable.

Nearly an hour later, the crowd finally thinned out enough for them to actually get the gear packed up properly. Before they could head up to their rooms, though, the innkeeper and the group that surrounded him stepped over.

“I’m sorry to discuss business this late,” the man said. “I’m sure you’re tired after that performance. However, a bit of an issue has come up: you gentlemen and your music are entirely too popular. As you may have noticed, the Green Unicorn is one of three inns here in Marneville. These men own the Singing Swan and the Pig and Pint… and they both said they quite literally had no custom tonight, because everyone who might ordinarily go to one of those inns for a night out, came here instead to see your show.”

“We had to send an extra patrol out here to make sure no one started any fisticuffs while they waited to enter the inn,” the Watchman said with a sour look. “Some of the idiots were determined to get inside before anyone else, just so they could sit closer to the minstrels’ platform.”

“I see,” Tuomas said. “I’m not sure what, if anything, can be done about that, unfortunately.”

“Perhaps you can’t do anything about the crowds,” said the man identified as the owner of the Pig and Pint, “but you can have your shows at our places so we get to share the wealth from the bar tabs.”

The owner of the Singing Swan nodded. “Claude said he planned for you to perform every night for a week, to replace the minstrel that agreed to come and then did not. What we propose is this: you perform two nights at each of our inns, plus one more night here. That gives us the chance to regain some of our otherwise lost revenue, and you’ll still have your week of performances.”

“Claude said he’d agreed to let you stay here for free while you performed,” the Pig and Pint’s owner said. “We will host you for free on the nights you perform with us, and of course, you’ll put out your box for your tips.”

Tuomas looked at Marko, who shrugged. He turned back to the innkeepers and said, “It’s a fair offer. The only possible issue I see is that we were told upon entering Marneville to stay at the Green Unicorn while we were here. Marneville is a lovely town, but I think I speak for all of us when I say we’d much prefer avoid extending our stay here by being jailed for disobeying a direct order from an official.”

The Watchman frowned. “I’ll speak with the commander about that,” he said. “You’ll have your third performance here tomorrow, of course, so we’ll send someone ‘round letting you know if you’ll be allowed to stay at the other inns while you’re playing there. I doubt it’ll be a problem as long as the brass knows where you’ll be on any given night, as you’ve already been here for several days without causing any problems.” He gave a half-smile, adding, “Well, unless you count drawing such a large crowd to your performances that people become unruly, but that’s not something you could have anticipated.”

Tuomas chuckled. “Considering we didn’t anticipate being asked to perform, we certainly didn’t anticipate becoming so popular, no.”

The owners of the other two inns conferred together for a moment before the owner of the Swan spoke up once more. “If you are officially asked to remain here for the duration of your time in Marneville, Michel and I will pay for your rooms here on the nights you play at our inns,” he said. Turning to the Watchman, he added, “Of course, it would be preferable for them to stay with us on those nights. Otherwise they will need an escort from there to here, given that everyone in town will be aware that they’ll be carrying a significant amount of coin after the performance.”

“I’ll be sure to mention that when I talk to the commander,” the Watchman said.

“And on that note, we’ll be off and let you all get to your well-earned rest,” said the owner of the Swan. “A pleasant night to you all.” He bowed and exited, followed by the Pig and Pint’s owner and the Watchman.

By the time their show started the following day, the same official who’d questioned them upon their entry to Marneville had come by to officially release them from needing to stay at the Green Unicorn, so they made arrangements to move to the Pig and Pint for their shows there, followed by one more move to the Singing Swan to cap off their sojourn in the town. The man also let them know which road would eventually lead them to the kingdom of Corona and let them know they could expect to spend a week camping, then they’d find a small town on the border, followed by another week camping before they reached Corona’s Crown City.

They continued visiting Anastasia each morning, and she suggested they deposit the bulk of the coin they earned each night with one of the town’s goldsmiths. While it wasn’t exactly banking as they knew it, the goldsmith would give them letters of credit which they could present to any goldsmith anywhere in the western kingdoms to withdraw any cash they might need. The letters were signed in blood, so no one else could use them even if they were lost or stolen, and she figured they wouldn’t want to carry that much coin with them just due to the bulk and never mind that if they were known to be carrying it, they would attract the notice of any thieves in the area.

Taking Anastasia’s advice, they bought supplies for the next stage of their travels, deposited their money, and received their letters of credit in exchange. The morning after their final show at the Singing Swan, they set out once again. Marko and Tuomas in particular were not entirely sorry to leave. Their sudden and unanticipated popularity as musicians led to several… uncomfortable encounters… including one enterprising young woman bribing a server at the Pig and Pint into letting her and a friend into Marko’s room after their show while they were breaking down their gear. He walked in to find them naked on his bed.

“Oh… I’m sorry, I must have entered the wrong room,” he said, backing out again hastily. He breathed a silent prayer of gratitude that they always had their bags with them when they performed, so that they could pack up everything afterward, which meant the invaders couldn’t get their hands on any of his things. Then he went next door and joined Tuomas in his room. Well, he’d planned on doing that anyway, once the inn quieted down, but the invaders just made it happen quicker.

Tuomas laughed when Marko told him what happened, and the two of them listened to the two girls arguing about what went wrong with their plan.

“But he’s from the east! Everyone says eastern women are easy…”

“Maybe they’re not, or maybe he just knows if he got caught with you, he’d have to marry you. Didn’t they say his mother got sent east for having him?”

“Drat, you’re right. Maybe he does know, then. Fifteen silver, this cost me, though, and nothing to show for it.”

“You better hope whoever you bribed doesn’t blab, or our fathers might send us east anyway. If anyone learns we did more than just stick around after the show to try to meet them, our reputations will be gone.”

“Yes, we better get out of here before we’re caught.”

Tuomas and Marko heard some shuffling sounds and then the door to the room opening and closing again. Tuomas cracked open his door and saw two figures in dresses tiptoeing down the hall to the stairs. “Looks like they’re gone.”

“Good. But I’d still rather stay here tonight, if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind at all,” Tuomas smiled, pulling Marko in for a kiss.

Fortunately, none of them had anything similar happen over their last few days in Marneville, and they managed to leave town without any angry fathers chasing them. They didn’t know it, but their performances in Marneville inspired over a dozen young people to travel east with the intent of learning to play the same sort of instruments. For the first time in memory, the hostel at the railway terminal had no vacant rooms for nearly a full week before the next train left for the eastern realms.

But the foursome left Marneville in good spirits, looking forward to some time away from crowds. They agreed that while camping wasn’t nearly as comfortable as rooms in an inn, the chance to practice without gawkers watching their every move made the discomfort worth it.

***************************************

Somehow, and none of them could figure out how since the western kingdoms didn’t have telephones let alone internet service, word had gotten ahead of them. When they arrived at the border town and the lone inn there, the proprietor greeted them warmly and asked if he could possibly impose upon Nightwish to stay over for a day and give a performance. They laughed and agreed.

The following day, the innkeeper saw them off with some extra provisions by way of thanking them for the show. He also reminded them to keep to the right when the road forked since they were aiming for Corona’s Crown City, as the left branch would take them to the coastal kingdom of Natexia. They’d reach the fork either late on their fifth day back on the road or early on the sixth day.

Thanks to their practice running late on their fourth night and a correspondingly late start on the fifth morning, they found themselves making camp before they reached the fork in the road. Not overly concerned, as they didn’t need to be anywhere by a particular time or day, they fell into their usual camp routine of rehearsing, food, and bed.

They’d barely gotten their gear loaded and their backpacks on in the morning, when a woman’s scream tore through the air. Tuomas grabbed his head as a wave of terror momentarily overwhelmed his empathic sense.

Marko steadied him as he staggered. “Can you tell how far away she is?”

“Quarter mile, maybe closer,” Tuomas said. “They’re moving. They were ambushed.” He took a deep breath and strung his bow. “We should help, otherwise we risk being the next ones ambushed.”

Emppu nodded. “Right… I’ll do my thing and try to pick off some of the ambushers while sneaking up on them. You gonna be okay, Tuomas?”

“Yeah, I’m okay now. Which way are you going to go? I can shoot from cover, but remember, friendly fire isn’t. I don’t want to aim in your direction if I can’t see you,” Tuomas said, stringing his bow.

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay to your right,” Emppu said. “Just aim for whoever’s on the left.”

Marko drew his sword and Kai pulled out his battle-hammer. “We’ll move up with you, Tuomas, and wait for your signal before we wade in,” Marko said, loosening his hair as well.

“Let’s go,” Kai said tersely as another scream, this one sounding pained as well as scared, sounded from somewhere up the road.

Trusting the noise of whatever was happening ahead to cover their approach, they started to run, only slowing and ducking into cover when they got within sight of the skirmish taking place at the fork in the road. Half a dozen nondescript men in leather tunics surrounded two riders, a man and a woman. The woman was seated sidesaddle but was slumped over her mount’s neck and bleeding from one shoulder. The man tried to steady her with one hand while awkwardly swinging a quarterstaff with his other hand in an effort to fend off the attackers. A small baggage cart thundered down the road towards Natexia, seemingly driven by another of the attackers.

Tuomas took careful aim at the attacker closest to the woman, hoping her horse wouldn’t suddenly move, and let fly, striking his target in the ribs. At nearly the same moment, one of the attackers on the other side of the riders gave a gurgling squawk and fell, a knife embedded in his throat.

That brief respite allowed the man on horseback to grab the woman’s reins and break away from the attackers. Rather than following the baggage cart, he guided them towards the newcomers, desperation in his eyes.

The unwounded attackers charged after them, not yet realizing that they themselves were under attack. They discovered it when the one in the lead went down with an arrow in his chest.

Marko charged ahead then, his sword flashing as he swung at the second one, gutting him rather messily. As the sword bit into his opponent, he banged his head towards the third one, his hair whipping forward to wrap around the man, pinning his arms and threatening to choke him.

Kai lumbered forward as well, his hammer crashing down on the head of the last of the attackers.

Emppu shimmered into view, cutting the throat of the one Tuomas shot in the side. “Simple thieves?” he asked, looking towards the riders.

“Assassins,” the man said flatly. He dismounted, only to grunt in pain and stumble, using his quarterstaff to keep himself upright. He hobbled the two steps to the woman’s horse and prodded at her shoulder, trying to see the extent of the damage.

Marko didn’t hesitate to skewer the last man standing, the one wrapped up in his hair. Snapping his head back, his hair uncoiled once more, letting the body drop to the ground. Moving carefully, he cleaned his sword on the assassin’s trews and sheathed it. Then he took himself behind the nearest tree and threw up as the reality that he’d just killed two men crashed into him.

Tuomas was in worse shape, barely getting three steps before doubling over and retching.

Kai approached the woman’s horse cautiously. “Will it let me get her down?” he asked the man with the staff. “I don’t know horses, but I know we’ll have an easier time getting her bandaged up if she’s down here with us.”

The man patted the horse’s neck and took a firmer hold of the reins. “I’ll keep him as still as possible. Make sure her foot is clear of the stirrup before you try to lift her down.”

“Stirrup? Oh, the foot-rest,” Kai said. He looked a little nervous getting so close to the horse, but carefully slid the unconscious woman’s foot out of the stirrup before gently grabbing her around the waist and lifting her down. He carefully laid her on the grass but looked uncertain as to what to do next.

“If you hold the horses’ reins so they don’t decide to leave without us, I can see how bad the damage is,” the man said.

“All right,” Kai agreed, standing up and taking the reins of both horses from the man. He looked a little dubiously at the beasts, but relaxed when they merely sniffed at him and looked bored.

Emppu stepped forward as the man started to hobble to the woman. “Lean on me, don’t hurt yourself worse than you already are.” He helped the man over and steadied him as he dropped to his knees beside her. “What else can I do to help?”

“Do you have bandages?” the man asked. “They got away with the baggage cart, we’ve got almost nothing left.”

“Yeah, I think we do. Just gotta remember who’s carrying them.” Emppu thought for a moment and located Marko. “Dude, you got the first aid kit, right?” he asked.

Marko nodded, looking rather miserable. “Yeah,” he mumbled. Stepping back and wiping his mouth, he moved to a clear spot and shrugged off his pack, rummaging around for the first aid kit. “Here. Who’s hurt?”

“The man and woman on the horses,” Emppu said. “Go check on Tuomas, though, he was getting sick too.” He took the kit and moved back to the strangers. “Here you go,” he told the man, handing over the kit. He froze for a moment as their hands brushed together, feeling an odd jolt with the innocent touch.

The man gave Emppu a slight smile as he took the kit, steadfastly ignoring the odd jolt he felt as their hands touched briefly, concentrating instead on cleaning and bandaging the unconscious young woman’s shoulder. “Thanks, friend.”

Emppu smiled. “You’re welcome,” he said firmly. When the man appeared to have finished with his ministrations, he asked, “Will you let me take a look at your injury now that you’ve got her settled?”

“If you want,” the man said. “I’m pretty sure it’s just a sprained ankle. I twisted it, mounting in a hurry when they attacked.” He frowned as he muttered, “And we don’t dare stay here to recover, they got away with the cart and it’s likely someone will come back to finish the job when the ones you lot took down don’t report in.”

“You’re welcome to come with us,” Emppu said, trying not to blush as he wrapped the man’s ankle. “We’re headed for the Crown City.”

The man hissed a little in pain but relaxed as Emppu tended his ankle. “I don’t know if we should… I really shouldn’t make the decision on my own, but…” He bit his lip in thought. “On the other hand, even if they don’t come back, if we turn up where we’re supposed to be, it’ll be way too easy for more of them to find us there and finish the job.”

Kai, with the horses in tow, moved the few paces to where Emppu and the two strangers were. “So, it’s probably better if you do come with us. If nothing else, you can report the attack and maybe see about getting some kind of guards to escort you to wherever you’re going? I mean, I don’t know how that kind of thing works around here, but… yeah.”

“I suppose that would be for the best,” the man decided. “I’m Troymer of Dunbroch, tutor of Princess Flooriel of Natexia.” He frowned a little. “Hm. I’m not quite sure how to manage with her still out like this. Which of you is the best rider?”

A shaky-looking Tuomas and Marko joined the group. “I don’t think any of us have ever ridden,” the dark-haired man said. “I haven’t, anyway. I’m Tuomasell of Kitellon and this is Markopunzel of Kuipetto. Emppunel of Kitellon is the one wrapping your ankle, and Kaiderel of Vaastera is holding the horses.”

Troymer looked surprised. “Easterners, are you? Those kingdoms don’t sound familiar.”

“They’re cities within the kingdom of Suomellen,” Marko said, “but yes, we’re all from the east.” He looked the group over thoughtfully. “Can you lead one horse while riding the other?” he asked. “If so, put either Kai or Emppu on the second horse with the princess to keep her from falling off. The rest of us can walk okay.”

“Emppu, think you’d be able to do your ‘you can’t see me’ thing on the horses as well as the riders?” Tuomas asked. “If so, you’d better ride, just in case anyone comes chasing us.”

Emppu finished wrapping Troymer’s ankle and looked over the horses. “Yeah, probably,” he decided, “but I won’t be able to hold it for long.” He looked a little more closely at the horses and their saddles, then asked, “Which one do I get on top of, and how am I supposed to do that?”

“If you’ve never ridden before, better you ride mine,” Troymer said. “The brown one with the black mane and tail. He’s wearing a standard saddle and as a first-time rider, you’ll want both feet in the stirrups. Her Highness is using a sidesaddle, so there’s only one stirrup, but I’m an accomplished rider so I can manage… actually, better yet, I’ll dump the sidesaddle here and hopefully anyone chasing us will stop to look for Her Highness in the shrubbery here. I can ride without the saddle.” He drew a knife and cut the strap holding the sidesaddle on the coppery-red horse, heaving it to the side of the road.

Emppu clambered to his feet. “Okay, so I’m going to ride the brown horse. I still don’t know how to get onto him.”

Troymer grinned a bit. “Go to his left side and put your hands on the front and back parts of the saddle. You just sort of vault up and put your right leg over his back. Then get your feet into the stirrups – you might have to adjust them shorter.”

“Okay…” Emppu looked a little dubious but went over to the horse and put his hands on the saddle. He wasn’t able to jump up high enough to get his leg over, though. “Now what?”

“Hm.” Troymer swung himself up onto the coppery horse and gathered up the reins. “All right, Kaiderel, is it? Give me the reins and then you’re going to help Emppunel mount up.”

“Just call me Kai,” the drummer said as he passed the reins over. “What do I do?”

“When Emppunel jumps up, grab his left leg and give him a boost so he can get his right leg over and get settled in the saddle,” Troymer said. “And if you’re Kai, I’m Troy.”

“Tuomas and Marko,” Marko put in.

“And I’m just Emppu.” He tried again, and with the help from Kai, managed to scramble into the saddle. He quickly figured out how to shorten the stirrups and got as comfortable as he could manage. “All right, someone hand the lady up.”

Kai did the honors, gently lifting the unconscious princess from the grass and settling her in front of Emppu.

Tuomas looked around at the bodies of the attackers, took a deep breath, and extended his empathic sense for a moment. “Well, no one’s nearby, but we probably ought to get away from here as soon as possible.”

“Ah, the other reason I’m the one on the horse,” Emppu joked. “Now all of you tall people won’t be slowed down by my short strides.”

Even Troy had to grin at that, as they turned down the right-hand fork towards Corona’s Capital City.


	8. Chapter 8

Several hours into their travels, Flooriel’s eyes fluttered open. She gasped and nearly threw herself and Emppu off the horse as she tried to escape the strange man’s arms.

“Hey, careful! You’re already hurt,” Emppu told her, trying to shift without losing his grip on her or the saddle. “Don’t knock us both off.”

“Your Highness, you’re safe,” Troy said quickly. “These men rescued us from our attackers.”

“Oh… oh, sorry, sir,” she said to Emppu. “I’m sure you can imagine what I thought, having been attacked and then finding myself held by a strange man.” She looked puzzled and said, “And for that matter, why am I not riding with you, Troy?”

“These men are easterners,” he explained. He introduced them all before elaborating, “None of them have ridden before, but as you were unconscious and injured, we didn’t want to simply tie you to your saddle. I sprained my ankle and while I can hobble about, I needed to ride to keep from slowing us down too much. Emppu said he has some sort of ability to disguise us and the horses for a short time if anyone else came after us, which is why he’s the one riding with you, so I could lead the horse you two are on. I didn’t think I could hold you steady, guide the horse I’m riding, and lead the other all at the same time.”

Flooriel thought about that for a moment and nodded. “I see.” She smiled at the trio on foot as well as at Emppu, saying, “I very much appreciate you gentlemen coming to the rescue earlier. Before we left Natexia, I had heard whispers that my sister wished me gone, but I thought her sending me to Bordeaux was her way of removing me. I truly didn’t believe she would stoop to hiring assassins.”

Marko groaned. “Well, shi… uh, crap,” he said. “As if we didn’t already have people being stupid over me and the sword, now we’ve walked into a fu…reaking royal feud of some kind?”

“You have enemies as well?” Troy asked, looking concerned.

“Not exactly, at least not as far as we can tell. But… well, you’ve heard stories of women being seduced by gods and getting pregnant? I understand if it happens to women around here, they generally get put on the train east,” Marko said.

Troy chuckled. “My mother was the exception to being sent east, but I’m quite familiar with the phenomenon.”

“Okay, well, apparently my sire left a sword… this sword… at the trading post at the rail terminal here in the west,” Marko said. “According to what we were told, he said to them that his son would come for the sword one day, and then he vanished. They said any time someone wished to purchase a sword, it would vanish from the display, only to turn up somewhere else after the customer bought what they wanted and left again. But when we decided we’d be smart to get ourselves armed, I browsed around while the shop assistant helped the others. Something drew me to look behind a massive shield on the wall, and my sword was behind it. I just… knew… it was supposed to be mine. The shop assistant looked pretty shaken and we know he reported to someone that I claimed the sword. We got hauled aside for questioning when we got to Marneville and honestly, I’m expecting the same thing to happen when we reach the Crown City.”

“But you’re just being watched?” Troy asked.

Marko nodded. “Yeah, at least so far. We’re all trying to figure out how the messages get ahead of us when you folks don’t have phones let alone email, but I’m sure there’s some magical method we don’t know about back east. Tuomas got the sense they assume something big is gonna happen and I’ll be in the middle of it.”

Flooriel giggled. “Perhaps all of you saving my life is the ‘something big’ they’re concerned about?”

“Could be,” Marko said with a shrug. “Honestly, I only came here because my mom asked me to try to discover her heritage. I figured that Crown City was probably the best place to start.” He went on to explain his circumstances, along with the reasons Tuomas and Kai had for making the trip. He finished by saying, “Emppu’s birth was much like ours, although his mother is a native of Kitellon rather than a westerner. But he and Tuomas were raised together, so he decided to come along to keep his foster-brother company.

“I see,” Flooriel said. “So, am I correct in assuming that we’re headed for Crown City here in Corona rather than the Bordeaux border?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Troy said. “I apologize for making a decision without consulting you, but you were unconscious, and I felt we’d be safer getting away from the scene of the attack.”

She nodded. “No, don’t apologize. I know Mother tasked you with protecting me, and that’s what you’ve done. I can’t argue with your choices given the circumstances.”

Kai spoke up then. “Speaking of circumstances, might we know why you suspect your sister of sending the assassins?”

“I… all right,” Flooriel said with a sigh. “It comes down to, she believes I’m more popular than she is, and so considers me a threat to her claim on the crown of Natexia. I don’t want the throne, but she refuses to believe it. Father died before I was born and Mother’s been acting as regent ever since, but Ariveena just came of age and assumed the crown. She’s the one who decided I should go to Bordeaux and open an embassy there, as we currently have no formal relations between the two kingdoms. She’s also the one who suggested I’d be safer traveling incognito, with just the small escort any gently bred lady would have, rather than – forgive the pun – making a royal spectacle by bringing a retinue of fifty to a hundred retainers.”

“That probably would have been a good idea,” Kai agreed, “if only she wasn’t determined to be rid of you. She’d know your route, and also know just how few people you’d have with you. That said, we didn’t find anyone besides you and Troy when we got to you this morning.”

Flooriel frowned. “My sister selected our guards herself, she told me. I can only assume that the guards she chose were actually assassins hired to eliminate me while making it look like a robbery. She chose my maid as well, although if any of the assassins escaped before you arrived, I suppose it’s possible she was captured and dragged off.”

“How many guards accompanied you?” Kai asked.

“Seven,” she said.

“We took down six,” he said. “I never noticed a seventh.”

“I spotted a cart rumbling down the road towards Natexia,” Emppu said, “just before we got into it. Probably the seventh, and maybe the maid as well. Either she was in on it and expecting you both to die there, or maybe those two are just dishonest types who decided the ruckus would make a great cover for their theft of the cart.”

“Unfortunately, that’s all speculation at this point,” Tuomas put in. “We can’t do anything about it, no matter what the exact situation was. What we need to do right now is find a place to camp. Between the late start and everything else, there’s no chance we’re going to make Crown City tonight.” He gave a faint grin and added, “Besides which, we have to figure out sleeping arrangements. The tents can hold three in a pinch, but there’s no way we’ll get all five of us guys into one.”

Emppu cracked up at the identical expressions of consternation appearing on Troy’s and Flooriel’s faces. “I would guess, Troy, that you’ll want to share with the princess? Since you’re her protector and all. If that’s the case, I’ll volunteer to go in with you two. Let’s just say that if I was going to try to seduce anyone, it wouldn’t be Her Highness.”

Troy looked at him in shock. “Wait, what?”

“I said, Her Highness is pretty, but I’m not interested in being with a woman,” Emppu said. “Neither are those two,” he added, gesturing towards Tuomas and Marko, “but as I said, I figured you’d want to stay with her since she’s in your charge as far as her safety goes.”

“There’s a decent-looking spot to camp just ahead,” Kai said. “Close to a stream and there’s what looks like a firepit already dug. Enough space for us to practice, too.”

“Practice?” Troy asked as he guided the horses to the edge of the clearing Kai indicated. He slid down from his mount and limped around to hold the other horse steady for Emppu and Flooriel.

“We’ve formed a band, although I think Tuomas wants to get someone else involved along with the rest of us,” Kai said, moving up to help the princess down. “Your Highness?” he asked, raising his hands but waiting for permission before touching her.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, placing her hands lightly on his shoulders.

He reached up to grab her waist and lifted her down easily. Now that she was on her feet, he realized she was slightly taller than him. And that she had a very pretty smile. “Feeling better, then? You lost a lot of blood this morning,” he commented.

She took stock of herself. “I think I’m all right. I’m not woozy or anything. I mean, my shoulder hurts, but that’s to be expected. Nothing else seems wrong.”

“I’m glad,” he said with a smile. “Emppu, you gonna be able to get down yourself or do you want help too?”

The guitarist looked down at the ground and made a face. “I’m not proud. The ground is awfully far away and I’d rather not meet it at speed.”

Kai laughed and waited for him to kick free of the stirrups before lifting him down as well.

Emppu staggered once he reached the ground. “Holy sh…nitzel! Troy, how are you able to walk?”

Troy turned and looked apologetic. “Oh, gods, I’m sorry! I should have thought… it was your first time riding and your muscles aren’t used to it. I don’t suppose you have any liniment in that box with the bandages?”

“I think we do,” Marko said, pulling out the first aid kit once more. “Yeah, we’ve got some pain-relief salve, or at least we’re supposed to.” He rummaged in the kit for a moment and pulled out a jar of salve. “Here you go,” he said, passing it over before going to help get the tents up.

Flooriel watched as Tuomas and Marko worked together to put the two small tents up, feeling as though she ought to help, but not having the foggiest clue as to how. Then she noticed Kai building a fire and pulling out various foodstuffs. “May I help?” she asked, hurrying over to join him. “I might not be an expert, but at least I have some idea of how to prepare food.”

Kai smiled warmly. “Of course, Your Highness,” he said. “We try to keep things simple, as none of us are expert cooks either. We’ve gotten into the habit of putting together a pot of soup or stew and letting it simmer while we practice. Will you chop the carrots and leeks while I get the stock started?”

“I will, and thank you for letting me prove that I’m not entirely useless even if I am royal,” she joked. “Mother always said the servants would respect you more if they saw you knew how to do things for yourself, so she made sure I learned how to sew and cook and things like that, as well as the – I guess you’d call them the more aristocratic or maybe royal skills. Diplomacy, etiquette, ballroom dancing, all that. I think she was right. Since I knew how much work went into, say, mending a torn ballgown, I was always a lot more careful with my clothing than some of the other girls I knew growing up.” Taking the offered vegetables and a knife, she set to work.

Kai filled the large kettle at the stream and set it over the fire, adding several packets of bouillon to help flavor the stock, along with some diced lamb and a couple of marrowbones plus some seasonings. He smiled again when Princess Flooriel scooped up the vegetables she’d chopped and tossed them into the kettle as well. “Thank you for the help,” he said. “And I think your mother is a wise woman. This needs to simmer for a couple of hours before we add in the barley to make it a little more filling. I need to start getting my kit set up for practice now.”

“What exactly is this band you spoke of earlier anyway?” she asked. “Is that just an eastern term for an orchestra?”

“No, not really,” Kai said with a warm chuckle. “Although you’re right that a band plays music together, you won’t find the instruments we use in an orchestra. If you’d like, come watch while I set up my kit and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about. Marko and Tuomas will most likely be getting their stuff set up as well. Maybe Emppu’s gear as well, the poor guy didn’t look as if he’d be able to do it himself after he got back on his feet after riding the horse all day.”

Flooriel giggled at that. “Troy and I are so used to riding that it didn’t occur to either of us that it might be uncomfortable for someone who isn’t used to it. I do hope the liniment you’ve got in your bandage-box helps him.”

“Eh, he’ll live,” Kai said. He grabbed his magically-expanded bag with all the components of his drum kit in it and started setting up near a fallen tree. “You’re welcome to take a closer look at whatever you’d like, but I also thought you might want a place to sit since you are recovering from your wound this morning,” he said, gesturing to the tree.

Her eyes grew wide as he pulled out his various drums and cymbals. “My goodness! Troy plays a bodhran among other things, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything like this!”

Kai looked up from the snare he was fixing into place. “Troy’s a musician as well?” he asked.

“Yes, he is. That’s the main reason he’s my tutor and not a woman or at least someone a lot older,” Flooriel said. “Like my mother, I sing rather well, and so she insisted that anyone hired to tutor me in etiquette and dance should also be able to train me in singing properly. Of course, that was one more reason for Ariveena to be jealous of me. She isn’t musical at all, and I believe she may have rather fancied Troy when he first came to Natexia as my tutor. He is the son of a minor princess himself, but being illegitimate and his mother having three brothers, he’s not exactly an eligible prospect for the heiress to a kingdom, you know? Besides which, I suspect he might prefer men anyway. At least, I’ve never known him to keep company with any women around the court since he arrived, and I know he’s had offers of assignations.”

Kai laughed. “Considering how quick Emppu was to volunteer to bunk with you two, maybe you ought to keep them under observation.”

“Maybe,” she agreed with a grin as Tuomas and Marko walked over with several bags and started pulling out their equipment.

Marko tuned Emppu’s guitar as well as his bass while Tuomas set up his keys. “Troy said he helped Emppu with the salve, but even so, the poor guy can barely walk,” he said. “He’ll still limp over for practice, though.”

“Good to know,” Kai said. “Hey, Tuomas, would you believe we’ve got two more musicians with us?”

“Really?” Tuomas looked over at Flooriel. “What do you two play, Your Highness?”

“Troy plays about ten different instruments,” she said. “Bodhran, small pipes, several whistles, shepherd’s pipes, mandolin, dulcimer, harp, bouzouki, and guitar. His guitar doesn’t look anything like that, though.” She gestured towards Emppu’s instrument. “He also sings. I play harp and sing as well.”

Tuomas mock-groaned. “Pity you’re royal, otherwise I’d ask you to audition. Marko’s brilliant, but since Emppu and I originally planned to form the band around the vocals of a woman we knew back home, most of the music I’ve written was for her voice.”

“What happened to her?” Flooriel asked.

“She got married,” Tuomas said with a shrug. “Her husband… I think maybe he thought I wanted her as more than just a singer, because he persuaded her she’d have a better career as a singer if she didn’t join the band.”

Marko grinned and gave Tuomas a kiss. “Maybe her husband secretly wished he’d attracted you and not her, and that’s why he didn’t want her around you. He couldn’t bear to see you every day, knowing that he’d never… oof!” He grinned as a laughing Tuomas lightly backhanded him across the stomach.

“You goof,” Tuomas said affectionately. He looked at the distance between the tents, from which Emppu and Troy had just emerged, and the practice area. “Should we take bets as to how long it’ll take Emppu to struggle the fifty feet or so over here?”

Marko, Kai, and Flooriel all turned to look and chuckled. Emppu and Troy appeared to be supporting one another as they hobbled across the intervening distance. They all managed to school their expressions before the pair got too close, however, as they did sympathize with Emppu’s pain.

The small guitarist made it to the fallen tree and collapsed gratefully onto it. “Ow. How in the he…ck can I hurt this much when the horse was doing all the work?”

“Riding uses your muscles as well as the horse’s,” Troy said, sitting beside him. “You won’t like hearing this, but the best cure for this kind of soreness is more of what made you sore. You’ll need to ride again tomorrow, at least for a couple of hours, or you’ll end up hurting worse tomorrow night.”

Emppu made a face but chose to change the subject. “Someone hand me my guitar. I’m playing sitting down tonight.”

Marko handed over the purple guitar and looked at his boyfriend. “Tuomas?”

The keyboardist took on a distant expression for a moment as he made an empathic check of the surrounding area. “It’s just us, we’re good to go. Start with Nemo?”

“Yeah, that’s the one I have the hardest time singing,” Marko said. “I know, you didn’t write it for a tenor and that’s fine, it just means I need to practice it every chance I get.”

Tuomas nodded and launched into the opening notes, the other three joining in on cue. Troy and Flooriel listened in fascination. While the musical style was like nothing they’d ever heard before, they recognized the real skills of the four men playing. They understood Marko’s comments about the vocals, though, their trained ears hearing the spots where they both could tell the vocal should have soared above the music, where a man just wasn’t going to be able to properly reach the notes.

On the second run-through of the song, Flooriel started humming along with the verse and then started singing aloud with the chorus. Tuomas actually stopped playing as her powerful soprano rang out, and Marko instinctively switched to harmonizing underneath her voice. Tuomas picked up the tune once more and they finished the song with all of them just staring at the suddenly self-conscious princess.

She blushed. “Um… sorry? I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No, that was amazing,” Tuomas said. “Seriously, if you weren’t royalty, I’d be on my knees begging you to join the band.”

“Maybe I should,” she blurted out.

“What?” came the chorus from all five men.

“Well, even if more assassins come after me, they’ll be looking for me in Bordeaux, I hope. And they’ll be looking for a woman alone, or with just one companion,” she said. “They certainly wouldn’t be looking for me performing as a minstrel, especially not in the company of five men. What’s more, I don’t believe anyone in Corona would know what I look like, and they probably wouldn’t recognize Troy either.” In a small voice she added, “I also don’t want to get married for political reasons, but if Ariveena does give up trying to have me killed, that’s exactly what will happen. She’ll pick out a prince from a kingdom she wants an alliance with and send me as his bride to seal the alliance.”

The four easterners turned to look at Troy, who sighed. “Well, she’s right that hiding in plain sight may be the better way to avoid more assassins,” he said, obviously considering her words. “As part of this band of yours, we won’t likely be anywhere near the royals in Corona, and anyway, they’re quite elderly and didn’t come to Natexia for her coming-out ball last month. I don’t believe they’ve made a state visit to Natexia since she was a small child, so they probably wouldn’t recognize her even if they did see her.”

“Okay, all that makes sense,” Tuomas said. “That, and I admit the songwriter in me really wants to hear what you can do with the stuff I’ve written that just couldn’t be tweaked for Marko to sing. What do you guys think?”

Kai smiled. “I’m okay with it if you all are. She already helped with dinner, so I’d say she’s willing to pitch in and not expect us all to wait on her hand and foot.”

She nodded. “You’ll probably have to show me how to do a lot of things, but yes, I’m willing to do my share.”

“Troy, are you going to be able to start calling her by name instead of saying Your Highness all the time?” Emppu asked. “I mean, we’ve only just met you two and really, we don’t have anything to do with the whole royalty business back home, so it’ll be easy enough for us to adjust. But you’ve been teaching her for years.”

“I’ll manage,” Troy said. “I hadn’t thought about that part, but you’re right.”

Marko sighed. “I’m willing to give it a try,” he said, “although I admit I’m a little nervous about it. But then again, I’ve been a little nervous about this whole trip since the whole thing with the sword and everyone acting like I’m some sort of Destined Hero because of it, you know? I’m just a musician with weird hair that’s really useful in a bar fight.” He thought for a moment and added, “Speaking of hair, the first aid kit has a bottle of peroxide in it, so maybe we could lighten your hair some, Flooriel, change up your looks just a little to make it less likely for anyone to recognize you. Troy, I don’t have enough peroxide for both of you, but maybe start growing a beard? Trust me when I say facial hair changes your looks quite dramatically.”

Troy laughed at that. “I’ll take your word for it, but I can do that.”

“Also, call me Floor,” the young woman said. “Mother used to call me that when I was little, so I should remember to answer to it well enough. What’s peroxide and how can it change my hair?”

Marko chuckled. “Peroxide is something used in the east to clean small wounds, but it you put it in your hair and then sit in the sun, it changes the color, makes it lighter. I have no idea exactly how it works; I just know that it does. Your hair is naturally dark enough that you won’t get nearly as blond as me much less Emppu, but as I said, any change will help disguise you.”

Floor nodded. “I suppose I should do that in the morning, then?”

“That’s probably safest,” Marko said. “There’s nearly always more sun out on the road.”

“Okay, then, I have just one more question before we get back to practicing,” she said. “Can I borrow some clothes from someone in the morning? I mean, I could try to wash this dress and mend it before we leave, but… well, it’s not practical for hiking or riding astride, plus if I’m wearing men’s clothing, that will also add to my disguise.” She gestured towards the jagged tear and bloodstain on the shoulder of her riding dress, where she’d been wounded in the skirmish that morning. “Everything else I had was in the cart. Troy’s got his gear in his saddlebags, though.”

Tuomas looked her over carefully, then at the men. “It’s a good thing most western clothing is meant to fit loosely. You’re pretty close in height to me and Marko, so you can try on some of our trews to see which fits more comfortably. For tunics, you’ll probably be better off borrowing from Kai. He’s got the broadest shoulders of us all, so his tunics will be more, um, accommodating of your figure.” He rummaged in his instrument bag and pulled out several pages of song lyrics and music. “You’ll need these, too.”

Floor smiled happily. “Thank you!” she said as she started looking them over.

Troy shook his head with a laugh. “I’d better get my own instruments out, if I’m also going to join this band of yours. Probably my whistles and pipes, at least to start. I can generally fit those in with nearly any music and make it sound good.” He started to stand up, leaning on his staff.

Emppu laid a hand on his arm, stopping him for a moment. “Are your saddlebags latched closed in any way?”

“No, I opened them earlier when I took out the blankets and didn’t close them again,” Troy said.

Emppu nodded and raised his hand, looking towards the tents and Troy’s saddlebags. He made a slight tugging motion, and the pipes and two whistles emerged from the bags and floated over to where the two men sat. “There you go, no need to walk on that ankle more than you absolutely must.”

Troy looked impressed. “Now that’s a handy skill to have,” he said. He set the pipes and the smaller of the whistles beside him, picking up the larger whistle. “So… that song, uh, Nemo, I believe is what you called it? Do that one again with Her Highn, uh, Floor singing? I think I know where the low whistle’s going to fit in nicely.”

Tuomas smiled. “Let’s do it… you got the words for Nemo up top, Floor?”

“Yes, I’m ready,” she said.

They started playing once more, with Troy’s whistle dancing over and around the clear notes of the keys. Tuomas developed a grin that just got wider as he listened to Floor sing, and wider still when Marko harmonized perfectly with her powerful vocals. They worked on two more songs before Kai declared a break so he could check on the soup.

“Do you need any help?” Floor asked.

He grinned. “Tuomas would kill me if I took you away from studying all the songs he wants you to learn. But thank you for offering. It won’t take long, maybe five minutes if that.” He stretched as he strolled over to the fire.

“You’re welcome,” she said, turning back to the others. Emppu and Troy had moved much closer together on the fallen tree; she suspected the only reason their shoulders weren’t touching was that they needed room for their respective instruments. They appeared absorbed in working out the harmonies between Troy’s pipes and Emppu’s guitar. Then she noticed Tuomas and Marko also watching the pair and grinning, so she made her way over to the keyboards. “Now I’m more convinced than ever that Troy prefers men,” she murmured.

“I know Emppu does as well,” Tuomas said. “Not that he was particularly shy about saying so earlier. He surprised me, though, he’s not usually so open in showing interest in someone.”

Marko shrugged a little. “Well, you know his mother is well-known in her career… he and I had a chat that first day we arrived in Marneville and he told me that he got burned a few times by people chatting him up when they just wanted to use him to get to his mother. Troy being from somewhere out here, Emppu knows for a fact that if there’s interest from him, it’s real and he’s not being used.”

Tuomas frowned. “Huh. How did I never pick up on that?” And then he blinked, feeling a wave of unfamiliar reassurance.

His confusion must have shown on his face because Floor blushed. “Oh… sorry,” she mumbled, and the feeling vanished.

“You’re an empath?” Tuomas asked. “So am I!” He chuckled and added, “I should claim you as my little sister for sure!”

“I think I’d like that,” she said. “Just don’t threaten to hurt any man I might show an interest in, please?”

“Aww, but that’s the best part of being a big brother,” he joked.

“Fiiiine,” she grumbled. “Anyway, I think it’s time little sister gets to tease her other big brother. I’ve never seen Troy look at anyone the way he’s looking at Emppu right now.”

“They do look cozy together,” Marko commented, sliding an arm around the keyboardist’s waist.

Tuomas leaned in and kissed Marko lightly. “Just as cozy as we do, I’m sure. But after his remarks to us that day… if Floor wants to tease, I’m just gonna sit back and watch.”

“Good point,” Marko said, returning the kiss.

Floor grinned and circled around the fallen tree to come up behind the seated pair. “And here I thought you were my chaperone, Troy… it’s starting to look as though I’m acting as your chaperone.” Her grin widened as she asked, “Or would you just rather I slept out by the fire? You know, so you two can do all those things I’m probably not supposed to know about.” She giggled as Troy reddened and facepalmed.

Emppu, however, grinned back at her. “Is this a one-time annoyance, or a declaration of war?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Floor laughed as she headed back towards Tuomas and her new stack of sheet music.

“At least she’s honest,” Emppu said to Troy as he took the other man’s hand. “She’s also not entirely wrong, although her being in the tent is one of two reasons I wouldn’t try anything tonight. The other one being, I’m sore enough from riding that I don’t think I can move well enough to get up to anything too interesting anyway!”

Still blushing, Troy laughed.


	9. Chapter 9

Kai returned and sat behind his kit, looking at his companions with a raised eyebrow. “All right, what did I miss?” he asked.

“Just Floor teasing Troy and Emppu,” Marko said. “How’s dinner coming along?”

“It should be ready in about an hour,” Kai said. “What are we working on next?”

“I think we should do a run-through of I Want My Tears Back,” Emppu said. “I think Troy and I have the solos figured out, and that one will probably please the locals more than some of our cover tunes.”

Floor shuffled through the pages of music in her hands to find the correct one. “Tuomas, will you go over the melody I’m supposed to sing once before we all try it together? It’s always easier for me if I hear it first.”

“Of course,” the keyboardist said. He made some adjustments and gave her a smile. “Ready?”

“Ready,” she replied.

The two of them went over the vocal melody, then they all played through the song twice. Tuomas smiled widely at hearing what Troy and Emppu worked out together with the pipes and guitar, and Kai watched with a smile as Floor performed a bouncy little freestyle dance to the music in between her vocals. Afterwards, they broke down the gear and meandered back to the fire for their meal.

As they sat down with their bowls of soup, Tuomas turned the conversation in a serious direction. “Floor, Troy, what exactly do you two plan on doing in the future? I know we haven’t said it outright, but we’re easterners. We plan on heading back to the train and returning home to Suomellen once Marko finds out what he can of his mother’s heritage. You’re more than welcome to come with us – as friends and not just band members, although I think I speak for all of us when I say you’re also more than welcome to continue on as band members if you wish. But I also know from my mom’s stories that you’ll find life in Suomellen very different from anywhere here in the west, and you might prefer to remain where you’re familiar with everything.”

“I can’t stay here,” Floor said promptly. “As I said, either Ariveena will keep trying to have me killed, or she’ll force me into marriage. Sure, I could try to stay here in hiding, but if I’m found, there will be a huge scandal and I’ll either be locked up as a madwoman, or else married off to someone with orders to ensure my proper behavior. I’d just as soon take my chances in Suomellen as the singer of your band.”

Troy nodded. “I’ll stay with you as well. If I’m found and Her, uh, Floor isn’t, there’s a good chance they’ll hang me for her murder. And if I’m found with her, there’s a good chance they’ll hang me for kidnapping her and they might even charge me with trying to forcibly wed her to raise my own status.” He thought for a moment and flashed Emppu a quick grin. “And on that note, you’ll be pleased to learn you won’t need to ride tomorrow. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to ride either. Or bring anything more than a change of clothes, my pipes, and my whistles – and I’ll need to shove those few things into your bags. I’m going to turn the horses loose, direct them back towards Natexia while making it look as though Floor and I got separated from them somehow.”

Emppu grinned back and asked, “How are you going to do that?”

“Well, I cut Floor’s saddle off her horse back where you rescued us. I’ll leave my saddle on my horse, but I’ll cut the reins of both of them, so it looks as though we got thrown and the horses ran away,” Troy said. “Also, one of my interesting skills is the ability to communicate with animals. So, I can quite literally tell them which way to go from here.”

After eating and cleaning up, Marko, Tuomas, and Kai dug through their clothes to find trews and a tunic that would fit Floor well enough to work until they reached Crown City and could replace some of what she’d lost during the ambush. The four of them took over the tent Marko and Tuomas would share with Kai that night; all of them squeezing inside to sort through the men’s clothing, and then the three men exiting to sit by the fire while Floor tried on the offered garments.

Emppu offered to help Troy go through his saddlebags and figure out what they could and couldn’t find space to take and what would have to disappear with the horses. The two leaned on each other once again as they hobbled to the other tent so no one would trip on the gear while they sorted it. They managed to find room for five of Troy’s instruments: the small pipes, the two whistles, the shepherd’s pipe, and the stringed instrument he called a bouzouki.

Troy looked at the shepherd’s pipe fondly. “Mum said this belonged to my Da,” he said. “so I’m glad it’s small enough to take. He met her at the harvest rites, she said. Mind you, we follow the old ways in the northwest, and at the planting rites and harvest rites, a maiden is chosen to preside over them and represent the goddess. Normally a young man is chosen to portray the god, and should a child result from the rites, it’s not considered disgraceful. However, when my mother was chosen, the lad who should have represented the god never appeared at the rites. Instead, a man no one recognized turned up, playing the shepherd’s pipe and offering blessings to all of Dunbroch if they’d accept him for the rites instead. We’ve all heard the stories of gods occasionally walking the world, so of course no one was going to forbid him.”

“Did he truly bless Dunbroch?”

“Oh, yes. ‘Twas quite a blessing he gave, too. Never before or since has Dunbroch had such a bountiful harvest with such good weather for the entirety of it. Mum said before he left in the morning, he thanked her and said that he had certainly given her a child. That the child would be musically gifted, and he gave her the shepherd’s pipe he’d played at the rites and told her to give it to his son when the boy was old enough to understand.”

Emppu smiled. “Sounds like your Da was a good man. God. Whatever. Point being, he didn’t just barge in and seduce a girl with no idea what was happening, like Marko’s sire did. Granted, the woman who raised his mother kept her way too sheltered. From what Marko’s said, his mother didn’t know how babies were made until after he was already on the way.”

“Some people are idiotic beyond all belief,” Troy said, nodding. “The civilized kingdoms, as they like to call themselves, look on us in the northwest as barbaric for following the old ways, but at least up our way, the girls are not kept in ignorance until the day they wed as so many are around here. I’m grateful for Floor’s sake that her mother came from a rather distant kingdom and so preferred to tell her daughters the facts of life. Even if I am a little embarrassed that she knows enough to tease us as she did.”

“Is that because you feel responsible for her?” Emppu asked. “Or just because you’re one to keep your private life private?

Troy shrugged. “A little of both, I suppose. You have to understand, by local standards, I’m a very controversial choice as her tutor, because I’m male and not twenty years or more older than she is. I’ve had to make very sure that nothing untoward could be said about me, or about my behavior. The gossips had a field day, that her tutor was a man barely five years her senior. If I’d as much as smiled too warmly at her in public, I’d have been accused of seducing her. And if anyone had figured out where my interests really lie, I’d have lost my position at best and been beaten and run out of town at worst. I know Floor suspected and probably a few others did as well, but I simply made sure to avoid taking any actions that might prove those suspicions.”

“What?” Emppu looked stunned.

“I don’t know how the people of Corona feel about such things,” Troy said. “I do know that in Natexia, a preference for one’s own gender is frowned upon. I take it things are different in the east?”

Emppu nodded. “Yeah. In Suomellen, at least, no one cares who you share your bed with, as long as everyone involved is willing. And at least sixteen, although if it’s a case of a couple of fifteen-year-old kids caught fooling around together, it’s rare that anyone will actually press charges even though they technically could.” He sighed. “We better let Tuomas and Marko know they’d better avoid being affectionate when it’s more than just us around. They’re both shy enough I don’t think they’d go for any real PDA anyway, but safer to let them know just in case.”

Troy tilted his head. “PDA?”

“Public Displays of Affection,” Emppu said, emphasizing the first letters of the words. “Like when they kissed each other while Kai was checking dinner in the middle of practice. No big deal here, since Floor didn’t seem to have a problem with it, but if it might cause trouble, they need to know not to do so in the common room of whatever inn we stay at tomorrow night.”

“Probably a good idea,” Troy agreed. “But while we’re still alone here…” He reached out to run his fingers through Emppu’s pale blond hair before leaning in to softly capture his lips in a gentle kiss. When they parted again, he murmured, “I might not be comfortable with that PDA you mentioned, but I did want to make it clear that I am interested. That said, I’d like to get to know you, not just your body, if that’s all right?”

Emppu’s smile lit his face. “More than all right,” he whispered back. “No one’s asked to get to know me before. Either they just wanted a good time, or they pretended to be interested in me so that I’d introduce them to my mother – she’s a popular public figure, the first woman race car driver in Suomellen. I think it’s amazing that you want to know me.”

“Very much so, and I’d like you to get to know me as well,” Troy said.

“I’d like that a lot,” Emppu said. He leaned in to steal one more sweet kiss before giving a sigh. “I suppose we really should go take everything out of the tent that’s not coming with us tomorrow. It’ll be crowded enough in here tonight without the extra gear.”

“You’re right, we should.”

Moving reluctantly, the two crawled out of the tent with the saddlebags and limped over to the fire in time to see a giggling Floor modeling her borrowed outfit. “Look,” she laughed, “I have legs!”

Emppu chuckled. “Yeah, annoyingly long ones at that! Want to trade? Then you can be the properly small and delicate lady and I can finally look like I’m older than ten.”

That got everyone laughing as they settled around the fire for some hot chocolate and conversation before turning in for the night.

*************************************

Usually the earliest riser of the group, Kai crawled out of the tent he’d shared with Tuomas and Marko, intending to stir up the fire and put the coffee on. To his surprise, Floor was already at the fire, still looking sleepy.

“Good morning,” he called softly. “Rough night?” He filled the coffeepot and set it over the fire before rummaging in the pack holding their foodstuffs.

“Good morning,” she replied with a yawn. “I guess a little. I think this is where I sound like a spoiled little princess, but I’m not used to sleeping on the ground, or that close to another person.” She grinned a little, adding, “I discovered that Troy snores. I think it was Troy, anyway.”

Kai laughed. “Probably. I’ve shared the tent with Emppu every night we’ve camped until last night, and I haven’t heard him snore yet. Talk and giggle in his sleep, yes, but not snore.”

Floor perked up a little. “Oh? What’s he said?”

“Nothing that made much sense,” Kai said with a shrug, measuring out the coffee grounds to put in as soon as the water boiled. “He muttered something about Tuomas being stupid once, and something very rude about roosters another time.”

She laughed. “Let me guess, he doesn’t like mornings? That would explain him saying something rude about roosters.”

He nodded. “You got that one right. We’ve literally had to drag him out of his blankets a couple of times this trip. Tuomas said sometimes even that doesn’t work and it’s taken dumping cold water on his head to wake him up.”

“I’m glad I don’t sleep that soundly,” Floor said.

“And don’t worry about sounding like a spoiled princess because you were uncomfortable and didn’t sleep well,” Kai told her. “None of us were used to camping at first either – and I’m assuming your cart had things like a camp bed for your comfort. You’re out here in a situation that’s way out of your realm of experience, but you’re trying hard to make the best of things instead of whining about it.” He checked the water and added the coffee grounds, setting the coffeepot to one side of the fire while the coffee brewed.

She nodded, still looking a little concerned. “I just don’t want to be a burden on you all.”

Kai shook his head and reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re not a burden, believe me. We’re all very glad you’re with us.”

“I’m glad to be here,” she murmured, blushing slightly.

Kai smiled and asked, “What do you usually eat in the mornings? We’ve mostly just had coffee and eaten granola bars when we’ve been camping, but I know we’ve got some fruit and some flatbread as well.”

Floor laughed. “Oh, great question to make me sound like a spoiled princess again. Let’s just leave it that aside from the fruit, you didn’t mention anything I would normally have for breakfast. And what is a granola bar anyway?”

“Um… it’s grains and nuts and stuff, mixed with, I think it’s a little honey, and pressed into little bars,” Kai said. “Your choice of chewy or crunchy style. They’re pretty popular as quick breakfasts or snacks in Suomellen. Sweet enough that most kids happily eat them, and healthy enough that most mothers encourage the kids to eat them. Plus they’re compact and easily stored, so they’re good camping food.” He rummaged in the food pack and came up with a selection of bars. “We’ve got crunchy maple syrup flavor, chewy oatmeal raisin, and chewy peanut butter chip.”

“Oatmeal raisin is the only thing that sounds at all familiar, but I’m used to that being a cookie,” Floor laughed. “I’ll try any of them.”

Kai grinned. “How about all of them?” He snapped all three bars in half, handing her a section of each one. “The coffee should be just about ready, too. If you’ve never had it before, I’ll let you know now, it’s very strong and kind of bitter tasting; you’ll probably want to add some sugar. There’s something about it that helps you wake up and feel energized, though, so plenty of people learn to drink it anyway. I don’t think Emppu would be alert enough to do anything before midday at the earliest if he didn’t have his coffee every morning.”

Floor laughed and took a nibble of the oatmeal raisin granola bar. “Mm, this one’s pretty good,” she said as Kai handed her a cup half-full of coffee and a couple of small paper packets. “What are these for?” she asked, holding up one of the packets.

“Sugar for your coffee,” Kai said. “It’s another thing that’s common in Suomellen – there are little shops all over the place that sell coffee and tea in disposable cups so the people buying it can take it with them. They also supply these little packets of sugar so that people can add as much or as little as they like. Tuomas and Emppu must have visited every coffee shop in Kitellon when they were preparing for the trip out here, and taken extra sugar packets from all of them, because they brought a lot!”

Floor grinned as she cautiously sipped the hot coffee. “This stuff isn’t so bad,” she said. “I think a little sugar will help, though.” She tore open one packet and poured it in, swirling the cup to let the sugar mix in and dissolve before taking a second sip. “Mm, it’s really good this way.” She munched the rest of her three granola bar halves in between sips of coffee, beaming over the maple sugar flavor and looking less than enthusiastic for the peanut butter chip.

Meanwhile Kai poked his temporary tentmates awake, letting them know that he and Floor were already up and coffee was ready. A few minutes later Marko and Tuomas emerged, rubbing their eyes a bit and stretching as they ambled over to the fire for their coffee. Kai poured for them and started a second pot going.

“Making more already?” Floor asked, surprised.

Kai laughed. “Yeah, I figure there’s about enough left in the first pot for Troy and for one person to have a second cup. But Emppu usually drinks at least three quarters of a pot all by himself before he’s able to speak in complete sentences, so I always make two pots.”

“Which is why we bow before your wisdom, O Mighty Master of Drums,” Tuomas teased. “That, and since you’re always up first and therefore make the coffee, we bow before you as Our Supplier of the Elixir of Life!” He followed his words with an exaggerated bow.

Marko did his boyfriend one better, dropping to his knees and kowtowing to Kai, proclaiming, “We’re not worthy!”

A red-faced Kai shook his head, snickering as he stage-whispered to Floor, “See what I have to put up with? You don’t know how much I appreciate having you here, Floor, because now I can have intelligent conversations!”

She laughed so hard at their antics that she nearly choked on the last of her coffee.

The sounds of the hilarity made Troy poke his head out to see what was going on. Marko noticed and gave him a friendly smile. “Coffee’s on, Troy, come on out when you’re ready. And a word of advice, be creative if you want to try to get Emppu moving. Either that, or just get yourself moving and I can get him up the hard way.”

“All right,” Troy called back. His head vanished back into the tent once more. He gently prodded the little blond curled up beside him. “Emppu,” he said softly. “Time to get up.”

“Do’wanna,” the guitarist mumbled, rolling over and resting his head against what would have been Troy’s chest had the older man still been fully in his bedroll. “Comfy. Sleepin’.”

Troy started to understand why Marko offered the advice he did. “There’s coffee, but you have to get up to have it,” he said, grinning a bit at the way Emppu had shifted sideways and was now curled up with his head in Troy’s lap. “I also can’t kiss you again if you’re sleeping, so if you want me to kiss you good morning, you have to wake up.”

That comment seemed to make an impression, as one blue eye cracked open and Emppu rolled over again to peer blearily up at Troy. “Not dreamin’?” he asked. “Y’really kiss me?”

“I certainly kissed you last night,” Troy said. “And I’ll kiss you again this morning, but only once you’re awake and moving. I don’t kiss people who are sleeping and won’t remember it.”

“Mm’kay,” Emppu said. “S’fair.” He started to push himself to his hands and knees when he appeared to remember something. “Floor?”

“Already up and outside,” Troy reassured him. “It’s safe to dress, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Yeah.” Emppu pushed to his hands and knees and let the blanket slip from his bare torso as he reached for his tunic. He stretched, his back popping lightly, then grabbed his trews and flipped to a sitting position to pull them on before rolling back to his knees to pull them the rest of the way up. He sighed as he looked at the blankets but smiled when he looked up at Troy. “Kiss now?”

Troy obliged with a smile of his own. “Mm. Good morning, beautiful.”

Emppu blushed. “Mm. Like wakin’ up like that,” he murmured, then yawned. “Still need coffee, though.”

Troy laughed. “Let’s go to the fire and get some, then.”

Tuomas, Marko, and Kai all looked astonished when a fully-dressed and smiling Emppu preceded Troy out of the tent.

“Do we even dare ask how this miracle came about?” Tuomas asked with a grin as soon as the two men limped over to the fire. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Emppu smiling before his second if not third cup of coffee.”

Emppu gave Tuomas the finger. “Fu… uh, up yours, Tuomas. Just because Troy’s a more motivational waker-upper than you are...”

Tuomas snorted. “As if you’d want me to motivate you the way I suspect Troy did.”

Kai decided to just ignore the banter and poured two cups of coffee, passing them to Troy and Emppu.

Troy flashed him a grateful smile, which widened into a grin at how quickly Emppu chugged down his coffee. “Here,” he said, handing his cup to the smaller man. “I need to get the horses sent on their way, and I think you need it more than I do anyway.”

“Probably,” Emppu agreed. He tugged Troy down and kissed him before turning his attention to his second coffee of the morning.

Troy blushed a bit as he returned that kiss, then he hobbled over to the horses and started murmuring to them softly. They both whickered and whinnied in return, then stood perfectly still as he pulled out a small dagger and cut the reins in uneven lengths. He murmured once more and both horses snorted and trotted away, going cross-country in the direction of Natexia. He sighed a little as he watched his harp, mandolin, dulcimer, bodhran, and guitar, all still in his saddlebags, vanish out of sight with the horses before making his way back to the fire.

Tuomas and Marko, with Floor appointing herself their apprentice in the art of packing tents, broke down their camp and got all the gear loaded. Kai took charge of dousing the fire and making sure no one forgot anything. By the time Troy and Emppu finished their coffee and granola bars, they were ready to get back on the road. Even at the slow pace dictated by Troy’s sprained ankle and Emppu’s strained muscles, they figured they’d reach Crown City by late afternoon.

Before leaving, Marko helped Floor soak her hair with the peroxide, telling her to leave it loose so that the sun would get to as much of it as possible. By the time the walls of Crown City were in sight, her hair had lightened considerably; still too dark to be called blond, but a much lighter brown than it had been, with auburn highlights. She also joined Emppu and Troy in limping, as her boots, meant for riding and not hiking, caused blisters on both feet before it occurred to her to take them off and walk barefoot in the grass at the edge of the road.

Kai kept pace with her, keeping up a light conversation to try to distract her from the state of her feet. Marko watched the two of them with a grin as they chatted about the differences between swimming in a lake or in the sea.

“What’cha thinking about?” Tuomas asked him.

“I’m starting to wonder if we’re a band or a matchmaking service,” Marko joked back. “Emppu pretty much pushed both of us into admitting our feelings. Then he and Troy started making eyes at each other practically as soon as we rescued those two. Now it looks as if Kai and Floor are starting to develop an interest in each other, too. They were certainly getting along well before rehearsal last night, and they were up and chatting before the rest of us rolled out of our blankets this morning as well.”

Tuomas looked and decided to risk a quick empathic probe in Kai’s direction. “Well, Kai’s definitely interested, but he’s also playing it smart. He knows she’ll have been more sheltered than most, so he’s focusing on being a friend first.”

Marko nodded. “Well, I think you and I both know that being friends first helps. What about her?”

“She’s an empath as well,” Tuomas reminded his boyfriend. “There’s no way I can get a read on her without her noticing, and I honestly don’t like actively scanning people anyway. Leaving aside the possibility of imposing an emotion on them, active scans are… personal? I’m not sure that’s the right word, but it’s the best I can come up with right now. Passively noting whatever emotions someone is giving off is one thing, but looking for deeper feelings is something else, you know?”

“I think I understand,” Marko said. “The difference between overhearing a private conversation that’s happening in the common room of an inn, and listening at the keyhole in order to hear a private conversation taking place in someone’s room at that inn. Maybe have a quiet word with Kai, though? Not that I think he’s gonna do anything stupid, but you know, the big brother speech since you claimed her. And for that matter, I’ll have a quiet word with Floor as well, let her know she can come to either of us with any questions or concerns. I’m not an empath, but the simple fact that Troy’s been her tutor for years, he’s used to being, I dunno, formal with her? Not a confidante, anyway, because as her tutor and especially given how young he is in relation to her, he’d have had to be careful to avoid anything that even looked the least bit improper. So he might not be someone she’d want to go to with questions about a potential boyfriend.”

Tuomas smiled. “You might not be an empath, but you’re good at reading people… at least as long as your own feelings aren’t involved.”

Marko chuckled ruefully. “Yeah, well… spend enough of your teenaged years as ‘that bearded freak’ and eventually you start to believe it. So it didn’t occur to me that you were dropping hints because I had no reason to think someone so amazing as you are might actually be interested, you know?”

“Yeah, and I was so busy trying to make sure I didn’t empathically make you interested in me that I managed to block out your interest in me,” Tuomas said with a rueful chuckle of his own. “We make quite a pair, don’t we?”

“As I told Emppu, we’ve got enough issues between the three of us to start a magazine,” Marko said with a grin. “He fell out of his seat, he was laughing so hard.”

“He’s such a pain in the ass, but he’s my brother in all the ways that count,” Tuomas said. “Thank the gods he was ballsy enough to talk to you and convince you to give me a chance.” He grinned and added, “Not that my gratitude is gonna keep me from teasing him about Troy.”

Marko laughed but then groaned. “Oh, gods, I can just picture the shit Zach’s gonna come up with to tease me when we get back to Suomellon and I introduce you to him and Dad.” He tucked a stray curl behind his boyfriend’s ear with a soft smile.

Tuomas gave a breathtakingly sweet smile in return. “I can’t wait to meet them. You know you’ll be meeting my mom as soon as the Express pulls into Kitellon, right? She’ll expect us for dinner at the very least, and she’ll probably want us to stay for a couple of days before I go on to Kuipetto with you.”

“I like that idea,” Marko said. “Actually… it might not be a bad idea for me and Kai to consider moving to Kitellon in the future.”

Tuomas tilted his head questioningly. “How do you figure that?”

“Well, think about it. You and Emppu already live there, and since Emppu’s there, I doubt Troy would choose to settle anywhere else. I imagine Floor will want to stay near Troy so that she’s got someone she’s familiar with close by as they adjust to living in Suomellen – and if she and Kai keep moving in the direction they seem to be heading, he’ll probably want to be closer to her than Vaastera. I’d like to be closer to you than Kuipetto. Besides, rehearsals will be much easier if we’re all in the same town,” Marko pointed out with a grin.

“True enough,” Tuomas chuckled as they approached the gates of Crown City. “Okay, people, stick together here. We enter as a group or none of us do.”

They all nodded and bunched together as they joined the queue waiting to pass through the gates.


	10. Chapter 10

As they’d expected, Marko got pulled aside for questioning by the guards at the gates. The others stepped to the side to wait for him, causing a few raised eyebrows but no one tried to shoo them inside either.

“Word from the terminal is that you claimed the sword left by a god for his child,” the guard officer doing the talking said to Marko, as a second officer took up a position to keep anyone from interrupting the interview. “Is this true?”

Marko shrugged a little. “That’s what they told me. My friends and I wanted to buy weapons and I found the sword hidden behind a shield on the wall. For all I knew, one of the employees had hidden it there because he was saving his wages to purchase it himself and hoped no one would see and want it before he could do so. But the man on duty said that if I’d found it, it was mine, left by the god who sired me. I wasn’t going to argue with saving a bit of money, you know?”

“But what exactly do you plan on doing with the sword?” the officer wanted to know. “Do you feel that your father intended you use it for any particular purpose?”

“Hopefully nothing,” Marko said, deciding not to mention the fight with the assassins after Floor and Troy. “We just decided we wanted weapons to look a little less like tourists in hopes of not getting mugged, and we’d noticed that the locals all seemed to go around armed, that’s all.” He frowned a bit at the second question, saying, “And as far as I’m concerned, my father is Kimmorven of Kuipetto, my late mother’s husband. My sire, on the other hand, was someone who seduced a girl so sheltered that she didn’t know that what he was doing with her could get her pregnant, and then disappeared and left her alone to face the judgement of her foster-mother and everyone else around here, so I quite frankly don’t give a sh… uh, crap about what he might or might not want of me.”

The officer looked mildly appalled but couldn’t refute that reasoning. “All right, I suppose I can understand that,” he admitted. “But then what is your purpose in coming to Crown City?”

“My late mother always dreamed of learning her heritage,” Marko said promptly. “She asked me on her deathbed to travel to Corona and try to find her parents, or at least to find out who they were if possible. As I said, she was raised in fosterage and wasn’t told who her birth parents were, not even when she became pregnant with me and got sent east.”

“Your mother was raised in Crown City?” came the next question.

“Outside of the city, from what she said,” Marko explained. “I figured Crown City offered my best chance for finding her heritage, though. In Suomellen, where I’m from, all births are recorded in the town they take place in, but copies of the records get sent to Elsinnekki, the capital, for the tax records. I figured something similar probably happened everywhere, so coming to the capital seemed like the place to start. You know, go through the records for baby girls born around when my mother was born and then dig further into the ones who lost their parents. If there are any records of foster-mothers, those might help some as well.”

The officer nodded, again unable to refute the man’s reasoning. “What of your companions?” he asked next.

Marko smiled. “We’re a band. Um, you’d consider us a group of minstrels, I guess? Tuomas, Emppu, Kai, and I played at all three inns back in Marneville, along with the inn on the Bordeaux border. Eastern music, mind, not the local tunes. We met up with Troy and Floor on the road and invited them to join the band after we had a jam session with them. They agreed. The younger people in Marneville seemed especially fond of what we play.”

“I see,” the officer said with a sigh. The reality of the man before him more closely matched the report from Marneville of an easygoing musician who minded his own business and tried to avoid trouble, than he fit the report from the terminal which rather excitedly announced that the god-sword had chosen a bearer and some sort of revolution must be at hand, most likely led by the bearer of the sword. This young man with the outrageously long hair and beard didn’t seem at all interested in leading a revolution. “Do you intend to perform while you’re here?”

Marko shrugged. “If we’re asked to perform, we will. Probably not for a few days, if only because Troy and Floor will need a few more rehearsals to learn our music. As I said, it’s quite different from what’s usual around here.”

All right, perhaps the man was leading a musical revolution. That was no reason to bar him from the city. “Very well. Your toll to enter the city is three silver. Your friends already paid their tolls,” the officer said.

“Yes, sir,” Marko said, pulling the required coins from his belt pouch. “Also, can you recommend any inns? We don’t want to have to sleep with our weapons in our hands, but we’d prefer not to bankrupt ourselves in a week either.”

Now the officer smiled, thawing just a little. “And you’re especially concerned for the lady’s safety, I would assume? In that case, I would suggest the Sated Tyger or the Dragon’s Den as fitting your desire for reasonably safe accommodations at reasonable prices. Probably a little more expensive than you’d have paid in Marneville, but my experience is that prices tend to be higher in the larger towns and cities. Besides, if you do end up performing, you’ll likely make back the cost of your stay.”

“True enough,” Marko said with a nod. “Thank you.”

“Enjoy your visit to Crown City,” the officer replied as Marko moved to join his friends. He watched as the bearded fellow spoke with the others before the group passed through the gates of the city. He looked at the other officer, who’d remained silent throughout the interview. “So, what do you think?”

The other officer shrugged. “I think the idiots at the terminal got excited over nothing. I’ll grant the bit about the sword was kind of strange, but that young man is pretty much exactly what he claims – a man trying to fulfill his mother’s final request.”

“If I’m concerned about anything, it’s the report from Marneville that their music proved so popular that the city guard had to send out an extra patrol to run crowd control on the people trying to see them performing,” the first officer said. “That said, they can’t be held responsible for the locals behaving like idiots just because they’re playing unfamiliar songs. We’ll want to keep an eye on the situation, though, and be prepared to handle any potential problems if they do perform here.”

*****************************************

Once inside the gates of Crown City, the group looked around. “Okay,” Tuomas said, “did anyone ask for recommendations for inns?”

“I did,” Troy said. “The guard taking my toll suggested the Sated Tyger.”

“So did the guard taking my toll,” Kai added.

Marko nodded and said, “So did the officer questioning me.”

Tuomas smiled. “Looks like four votes for the Sated Tyger, then.”

“Yeah,” Emppu said. “I was right behind Troy in line and Floor was behind Kai, so neither of us bothered to ask. We figured we’d get the same answers.”

“Plus I didn’t want to chance anyone looking too closely at me,” Floor admitted. “But did anyone get directions?”

Tuomas nodded. “Yeah, I did. Six streets up and take a left, then it’s just past the first street on the right.” He took the lead, while Marko brought up the rear to make sure nobody got separated.

Arriving at the Sated Tyger, they got settled in. Floor had a tiny cubicle of a room to herself in the ladies’ wing after reassuring the innkeeper that she was, in fact, a respectable young woman traveling with her half-brother Tuomas. He heard and quickly confirmed that she was his sister and that he would be responsible for her good behavior while they were guests there.

The men ended up in similar tiny rooms in the opposite wing of the inn. Emppu and Troy, dealing with their strained muscles and sprained ankle respectively, decided to stay put and relax for a couple of hours, but despite her blisters, Floor wanted to go shopping for some clothes of her own. She admitted that her feet hurt badly, but since she quite literally had nothing to wear except Tuomas’s trews and Kai’s tunic, shopping took priority. Tuomas, Marko, and Kai all accompanied her to the nearest shops where they burned through a fair bit of the coin they’d earned in Marneville; Floor acquired two feminine-styled tunic-and-trews outfits hailed as the latest thing for female travelers along with a pair of soft slippers and a pair of walking shoes, while Kai thought to pick up backpacks for Troy and Floor as well as two more tents for when they left Crown City once more.

Back at the inn, Floor changed into one of her new outfits and pulled on her slippers, grateful for the cushioned surface against her blistered toes and heels. She padded back down to the common room, where she found Marko, Tuomas, and Kai watching Troy teaching Emppu to play a popular western board game known as Hounds and Hares. “What do you think of the game?” she asked them.

“It looks interesting,” Kai said. “I’ve noticed there aren’t many board games around here, though. I haven’t seen many, at least. Most of the inns we’ve stayed in only have this one, and maybe a dart board at the bar. I’ve seen people playing card games and throwing dice, but again, not much in the way of board games.”

“When we get to Suomellen, you’ll see what Kai is talking about,” Tuomas said. “There are all sorts of board games, from something similar to Hounds and Hares, all the way down to silly games designed for small children to play.”

Floor looked puzzled. “Silly board games designed for children? Why?”

“Why not?” Marko countered. “They’re good for keeping little ones entertained on cold or rainy days, or other occasions when the kids can’t go play outside for whatever reason. Like if they’re sick with a cold or something mild enough that they don’t have to stay in bed, but bad enough to keep them home from school or daycare.”

“Oh… that’s not anything I’ve seen before,” Floor said with a nod.

Marko smiled. “Well, that’s to be expected. You’re going to see and learn a lot of new things, especially once we all head home.” He patted her shoulder lightly. “Also,” he added, a little more quietly, “if you have questions about anything at all, especially anything you might not be comfortable discussing with Troy, come to me or Tuomas, okay? Anything at all.” He flicked his eyes in Kai’s direction as he said it.

Floor caught his glance and blushed lightly. “I think I might do that, but not tonight,” she murmured. Changing the subject, she asked, “Are we going to rehearse tonight?”

“We should,” Tuomas said, “as long as we can find a place to do so. Kai can silence the immediate area so we don’t disturb anyone, but we still need enough space to set up the gear.”

“I’ll go ask at the bar,” Marko said. “If the innkeeper isn’t there himself, whoever is pouring drinks will know where to find him. Besides, I wouldn’t mind a beer before dinner,” he grinned.

“Buy a round while you’re there,” Tuomas said. “You know what Kai, Emppu, and I enjoy. Troy, Floor, what are you two drinking before dinner?”

Troy looked up from the game board. “Hmm? Oh, red wine, please.”

“I’d like the same,” Floor said.

“Three and three, that’s easy to remember,” Marko said as he turned and crossed the room to the bar. The innkeeper proved to be behind it, so a brief consultation gained permission for the band to use the currently-empty hayloft for their rehearsal space in addition to a trio of full pints plus a bottle of red and three glasses. He carried everything back over to the group. “Okay, we have rehearsal space in the hayloft,” he told them. “The innkeeper says it’s pretty much empty at this time of year since it’s getting close to haying time, so we should have plenty of room. And, we also have drinks.” He passed around the wine glasses and beer mugs to the appropriate recipients.

Tuomas grabbed the wine bottle, pulling the cork and pouring for Troy, Floor, and himself. “Anyone want to take bets as to how soon someone will sneak in to hear us rehearse?”

“Tonight, duh,” Marko laughed. “However they’re getting their messages around so fast, you know damn well… sorry, Floor… that someone from Marneville, or from the terminal, or both, passed word up this way. We never made it a secret that we were coming here to Crown City, even if they didn’t know which inn we’d end up staying at.”

Emppu took a swig of his beer and nodded. “Yeah, seriously. That little border town heard of us before we got there, and the guards at the city gates obviously had word about Marko and his sword. You know someone’s gonna come listen to us so they can be the first one to hire us while we’re here.”

Floor sipped her wine. “I just hope I don’t mess up.”

Kai reached over and squeezed her hand lightly. “You’ll be fine. Even if we’re asked to perform, we won’t take a job for a few days, to give you and Troy time to learn our songs. And for us to learn more of the songs, too,” he added with a laugh. “We mostly played covers in Marneville... that’s our versions of other bands’ songs… simply because we all happened to know the covers we picked out, and because so much of what Tuomas wrote was meant for a female voice. Now we’ve got you to sing, but you’re not the only one who needs to learn the songs.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said softly.

They headed into the dining room, which was separate from the common room here, and continued chatting about music over their meal. Afterward, Floor, Emppu, and Troy headed for the hayloft while Kai, Tuomas, and Marko grabbed the bags with their gear before following. They set up and within a quarter of an hour, had drawn a rotating audience of stablehands and servers popping up into the loft to stay for a few minutes before hurrying back to their duties. They did note that everyone who came to listen left smiling.

The innkeeper turned up about an hour into their rehearsal. When they finished the song they were playing he stepped forward with an eager expression. “You are that same Nightwish that performed to such acclaim in Marneville?” he asked. “Can I persuade you to perform here?”

“We are,” Tuomas said, “and yes, but we’ll need a few days of rehearsals before we start. I hadn’t originally wanted my sister to join the band, but… well, some things happened at home that made it better she not remain there, so she came to me for help. As you’ve just heard, she’s a wonderful addition to the band, but she’s only been with us for a couple of days and needs a bit of time to learn all the songs.”

“Of course, of course,” the innkeeper said, nodding. “How soon do you think you’ll be ready to perform?”

Tuomas looked at Floor, who thought for a moment and said, “Perhaps three more days after today? Some of the songs are meant for a man’s voice, so I don’t have to learn all of them, just a lot of them.”

The innkeeper beamed. “Wonderful! That gives me time to spread the word that you’ll be performing, and to figure out how to best accommodate the crowd I expect you’ll draw. I expect the other innkeepers to want you to play at their places as well, especially if you prove as popular as you did in Marneville, so would you like me to contact them on your behalf? I expect if we all meet together, we can come to some sort of agreement that will satisfy everyone.”

Tuomas nodded. “That’s all right with me. I know Marko needs to do some research in the tax records, it’s why we came to Crown City in the first place, but I’m sure we can find a time to meet in the next few days that will be convenient for everyone.”

“Or you can just meet without me, if you need to,” Marko put in. “I trust whatever the rest of you decide to do.”

“In that case, I’ll get back to my own work and leave you to your practice,” the innkeeper said with a smile. “Oh, my name is Rolf; should any of you need to speak with me directly for any reason and I am not immediately available, you know for whom to leave word.”

“Thank you, Rolf,” Tuomas said. “I am Tuomas, and this is Floor, Marko, Emppu, Troy, and Kai. As you know, together, we are called Nightwish. And we very much look forward to performing for you and your patrons.” He gave Rolf a nod and smile.

Rolf returned that nod and smile and exited the hayloft. They started another run-though of the song they’d been playing and before they were halfway through the piece, three more stablehands arrived to lurk in the shadows where they could listen for a little while before getting back to work.

*******************************************

Two days later, Marko sat in the Crown City tax record archives, his eyes wide and worried. “It can’t be,” he muttered. “No way. This can’t be right. I am so fucked if it is true and anyone guesses… but no, why would anyone guess? I have to tell Tuomas at least, but… yeah. They’d never look for her son in a band, would they, so I should be okay. If anyone local asks, I can tell them I didn’t find anything conclusive.” He put back all the files where he’d found them and hurried back to the Sated Tyger.

Tuomas raised a brow upon feeling the unease rolling off his boyfriend. Floor gave him a concerned look as well, which caught the attention of the other three. They all looked up as Marko approached the group. “What’s wrong?” Tuomas asked.

“Nothing,” Marko said. “Just some disappointing news in my research.” He shrugged. “I’ll tell you about it later, okay? I just don’t need everyone in the place up in my business, you know?”

Tuomas nodded, getting the message that whatever was bothering Marko shouldn’t be discussed in public. “Okay, I can understand that. Want to try your hand at Hounds and Hares?”

“I have a better idea,” Marko said. “I have a deck of cards. How about we teach Floor and Troy to play poker?”

“Ooh, poker?” Emppu asked. “I’m in! What are we betting with?”

“Grab a bowl of nuts from the bar,” Kai suggested. “Or someone can hit the sweet shop up the road for a bag of those wrapped chocolate drops.”

“Use the nuts,” Tuomas advised with a laugh. “Betting with chocolate never works; the game always ends with half the pot it started with.”

Troy raised a brow but laughed at Tuomas’s advice. “I take it you’ve experienced this before?”

“Once or twice,” Tuomas said.

Floor laughed. “All right, this sounds interesting,” she said. “I’ll get the nuts.”

The guys claimed one of the round tables in the common room, leaving a seat for Floor between Tuomas and Kai. Marko brought out his deck and shuffled as she returned with a bowl of mixed nuts.

Emppu grabbed the bowl and started counting out the nuts into six piles with equal numbers in each one. When he ended his count, he grinned. “Got a couple extra here, who wants one?”

“I’ll have one,” Tuomas said.

“Catch!” Emppu said, tossing a nut at his friend.

Tuomas tried to catch it in his mouth but it bounced off his nose and hit the table, just missing his drink. “Learn to aim,” he said, picking up the nut and munching on it.

“Learn to catch,” Emppu retorted, eating the other extra when no one else requested it. He slid one pile to each of the group at the table. “Okay, everyone’s got their starting pots. What’s the game, Marko?”

“I figure we’ll play a few rounds straight, to give Troy and Floor a chance to learn the hands before we switch up to five-card draw,” Marko said. He went on to explain the various hands and their ranks as well as how the betting worked before dealing the first round. “Ante up.” He shoved a single nut into the middle of the table.

Everyone else followed suit. Tuomas led the betting, raising by two. Floor and Kai both called, Emppu raised, Troy hesitated, but called as well, and Marko made a face as he folded. Tuomas and Floor called Emppu’s bet and Kai folded as well. Emppu declined to raise again and they all showed their hands. Marko had a single king, while Kai had a pair of threes. Tuomas had two pair, deuces and sixes, while Troy had three fours and Emppu had three sevens. A grinning Floor scooped up the pot as she displayed a jack-high straight.

They played for about an hour, teasing and joking as Floor ‘made up’ for her initial straight by getting garbage hands for the next five games, then turning the teasing on Emppu for absentmindedly calling a raised bet without looking at his cards and only then realizing that he should have folded instead. Kai ended up with the biggest pile of nuts in front of himself by the time the game broke up for dinner.

They ate and headed up to the hayloft for practice afterwards, bringing their ‘winnings’ to munch on in between songs, or whenever a couple of them needed to work on one particular part leaving the others with nothing to do for a moment. As they started to break down their gear, Tuomas mentioned that a group of local innkeepers had showed up while Marko was at the archives and that Nightwish would be playing for a total of ten shows over the course of the next two weeks, two shows at each of five inns.

Marko nodded, but looked worried. “Kai, can you do another sound wall inside the one that’s already up? What I have to tell you really, really doesn’t need to be heard by anyone else.”

“Sure,” the drummer said, looking mildly concerned. They all gathered together and he moved around the group, putting up a second sound barrier. “All set.”

“Okay, you all know why I’m here,” Marko said. “I think I might have discovered Mom’s heritage, but if I’m right, there’s the potential for huge complications happening.”

Tuomas tilted his head. “How huge?”

“Huge enough to justify those idiots at the terminal freaking out about the sword,” Marko said flatly. “There’s a good possibility that my grandparents are alive. Alive – and sitting on the throne of Corona.”

Emppu pretty well summed up everyone’s reactions with a heartfelt, “Well, shit.”

Tuomas looked worried. “We’re supposed to start playing at the inns tomorrow. What do you all think, should we bail and make a run for the train?”

“Who here knows what information you turned up, Marko?” Troy asked.

“No one, at least as far as I know,” Marko replied.

Troy nodded. “I suppose there’s a small chance someone working in the archives might put the clues together, but it’s not likely,” he said. “As far as I’ve heard, the baby princess vanished from the palace even before she was named. They’ve sought her out for decades, of course, but with no clues to work with…” He shrugged. “No one around here knows what she grew up to look like, so any resemblance you might have to your mother shouldn’t catch anyone’s attention.”

“Yeah,” Marko said. He thought for a moment and sighed. “As much as I’d like to run for the train, I think it’s more likely we’ll attract the wrong kind of attention if we do. There’s five inns expecting the band to perform, so if we up and vanish, they’re going to wonder why, and might even hire someone to come after us for breach of contract or whatever. We’re probably better off staying and doing our shows, then just quietly heading out of town for the train home.”

Emppu frowned but nodded. “I agree, if we try to leave now, we’ll get noticed and questioned as to why. Better we do the shows and try to stay as unnoticed as possible outside the performances.”

“I don’t like it,” Tuomas admitted unhappily, “but you’re probably right. I just… yeah. You’re not going back to the archives, are you, Marko?”

“Oh, hells no! If I quit digging now, they’ll hopefully assume I didn’t find anything to move my search forward,” Marko said. “I just hope no one there paid enough attention to what I was looking up to make the same connection that I did, that the missing princess was the only baby girl unaccounted for in the time frame I was looking at. I’ve already got the occasional idiot official expecting me to do – something spectacular – because of the sword. I can only imagine what they’d do if they decided I’m some kind of long-lost prince or whatever.”

“Oh, gods, I hadn’t even considered the succession,” Troy groaned. “The king and queen finally settled on His Majesty’s great-nephew as the Heir Presumptive last year, but if anyone can prove you’re their grandson, you’d have precedence. Especially because the boy is only nine or ten years old right now. Child monarchs are too vulnerable, puts the whole country at risk.”

Marko snorted. “Some prince I’d make! I grew up the son of an electrician and a housewife, and the only sort of diplomacy I’ve ever practiced involved warning bystanders to protect their drinks when the bar fight was getting started.”

Kai shrugged a little. “Not much we can do besides keep our heads down except when we’re performing,” he said.

Floor shivered a little. “I agree. Believe me, I don’t want to be looked at too closely either.”

Kai reached over and squeezed her hand. “We’ll be okay,” he said.

She gave him a shy smile in return. “Thanks,” she murmured.

Tuomas sighed. “All right, let’s get packed up for the night. Does anyone absolutely need anything from the shops tomorrow? Because I think I’d really like for us to stick together from now on.” Everyone shook their heads. “Good. If we do need anything, and that includes more food for the road once we’re done with our shows and getting out of Crown City, Kai, Emppu, or I will get it, or rather, two of us will. I don’t want any of us going out alone.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Emppu agreed. “Actually, all three of us should go. Your empathy should give us a bit of warning if trouble is about to find us. I can almost certainly slip away unnoticed if trouble does find us, and Kai’s good for carrying stuff.” He grinned a bit, hoping his little poke would help lighten the collective mood. “More to the point, he can contact his aunt and cousin if the sh… uh, excrement really hits the fan. Anastasia might live in Bordeaux, but if we need a local perspective on anything, she’s our best option.”

“Aunt Anastasia would be glad to help if we needed her, she said as much before we left. But we probably shouldn’t go out alone anyway, at least not once we start performing,” Kai said. “Remember what happened to Marko back in Marneville? We don’t need any repeats of that, and if a repeat happens anyway, better that it doesn’t come down to the word of a local against the word of one of us.”

Troy looked curious. “What happened back in Marneville?” he asked.

Marko blushed. “A couple of girls, um, bribed someone at the inn we were at that night. I went upstairs after the show and the two girls were in my room, and they were, um, not dressed. I acted like I must have stumbled into the wrong room by mistake and backed out of there just as quickly as I’d gone in.”

Floor laughed. “Oh goodness! If you’d been caught in the same room with them in a state of undress, you’d have had their fathers after you, insisting you marry them.”

“I suppose the one good thing about my mother getting sent east is that I had a pretty good idea of what could happen in that sort of situation,” Marko said ruefully. “I definitely knew better than to stick around.”

Troy couldn’t help but grin as well. “And of course, it helped that those girls lacked certain… attributes… that you find attractive,” he teased. “I suspect a certain musical genius rescued you from your terrible predicament.”

Marko blushed again while Tuomas rolled his eyes. “Great, just what we need. Someone else in the band with Emppu’s sense of humor,” he groused, but they could all see the hint of a smile lurking around the corners of his mouth.

Kai looked at the two couples who were carefully not giving any affectionate displays where they might be seen and came to a decision. He took Floor’s hand and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I suspect you’re aware that I’m attracted to you. I’d like to court you properly, if you’re willing.”

Floor blushed and squeezed Kai’s hand. “I don’t really know what’s involved in courting,” she whispered back, “but I’d love for you to teach me.”

“Good,” Kai said. He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers with a smile. Then he looked at the other four, his smile widening into a grin. “And yes, I realize that I’m fair game now. Just don’t tease Floor too hard, okay?”

“I’ll behave until we leave Crown City,” Emppu promised. “But after that, all bets are off.”

Troy sighed. “At least I know you genuinely like her, and not her rank,” he said. “Just… promise you’ll be honest, okay? I’m not stupid enough to say ‘never hurt her’ because I know things can go wrong sometimes. But if ever I have to console her in the future, I want it to be because you decided it wasn’t working out and told her so, than because she discovered you were courting another lass on the side.”

“What Troy said,” Tuomas put in, “Seeing as I’ve claimed her as my sister. And Troy, Emppu’s my brother, so your speech applies to yourself as well. Substitute courting another man on the side, of course.”

Troy chuckled. “Understood.”

Emppu grinned. “Marko, should I point out that Tuomas is my brother?”

“I knew that already,” Marko retorted. “You might not have given me this exact chat back in Marneville, but it was heavily implied. I think we’re all good.”

“Okay, then, since we’re all good,” Emppu said, “Group hug!” He pulled Troy in on one side and Marko on the other. Marko grabbed Tuomas while Troy grabbed Floor, who pulled Kai in to complete the circle. “Here’s to Nightwish, may we rock forever!”

“Nightwish!” they all cheered.


	11. Chapter 11

They broke down the gear and headed back into the common room, deciding on hot chocolate rather than beer or wine before turning in for the night. Having established himself as Floor’s brother, Tuomas made a point of keeping an eye on her and Kai as the drummer escorted her to the door to the single women’s wing of the inn, giving her a gentle kiss goodnight before he headed back to the others.

Up in the men’s wing, Tuomas barely remembered to make sure the hall was clear of people before slipping next door into Marko’s room. Without a word, he slipped into the bed and wrapped his boyfriend up in his arms. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked softly.

Marko clung to his boyfriend, feeling better for being held. “I think so?” he said. “It’s just… I dunno, weird. I’d honestly thought the research wouldn’t turn up anything. I figured Mom’s parents must have died when she was a baby. To think they are quite possibly alive and royal… and that they’ve been looking for their lost daughter for well over thirty years now… it worries me.”

“I know, love,” Tuomas whispered. “It worries me as well. I don’t want to lose you.”

In answer, Marko lifted his face to kiss Tuomas, unable to find the words to express his feelings, but putting every one of them into that kiss. When they finally parted, he said, softly but intensely, “I am yours, Tuomas. Only yours.”

Tuomas looked almost drunk from the force of the emotions pouring from Marko. “I love you,” he murmured before moving in for another kiss.

“Love you too,” Marko got out just before Tuomas’s lips crashed into his once more. One hand sank into his boyfriend’s dark curls, while the other slowly slid down over his backside.

Tuomas gave a soft sound of pleasure as he slowly pulled back from the kiss. “Tell me what you want, love,” he said softly as he trailed one hand over Marko’s chest, mapping out the lean muscles. He felt his boyfriend shiver lightly even as he arched up into that teasing touch.

Marko moaned softly. “You,” he whispered. “I want you to take… no, I want to give myself to you. I want to feel you inside me, hot and hard and hungry for me.”

“Gods…” Tuomas’s breath hitched. “Believe me when I say I am that.” He shoved his boxers down, grabbing Marko’s hand and guiding it to his achingly hard cock. “Feel how badly I want you, love.” He gasped and moaned as the bassist’s callused fingers wrapped around him.

Marko shivered once more as he caressed his boyfriend’s shaft, fingers tracing over the rock-hard flesh. His own cock strained eagerly against the fabric of his boxers as he pressed closer. “Please, Tuomas,” he whispered, kissing and nibbling at the juncture of his lover’s neck and shoulder.

Tuomas moaned as he tugged at Marko’s boxers, even as he nuzzled and licked at his earlobe. He ran both hands over Marko’s firm backside, his fingers ghosting lightly along the split. “Got any kind of oil or lotion in here?” he murmured.

It took Marko a moment to register Tuomas’s words. “Mm? Yeah… hang on…” He whipped his hair towards his pack, dragging it to within arm’s reach. Digging inside, he came up with the first aid kit, which contained a small squeeze bottle of aloe vera gel. “This work?” he asked, holding up the bottle.

“Yeah,” Tuomas said. He moved behind Marko, coated his fingers with the slick substance and gently eased one into his lover’s tight passage. “How’s that?” he asked, watching Marko for any signs of distress.

“Oh!” Marko pressed back eagerly on that invading digit. “So good…”

Tuomas brushed Marko’s hair to one side, to kiss the back of his neck as he carefully added a second finger and then a third, working gently to prepare his lover’s body for penetration. He smiled at Marko’s soft sound of protest as he withdrew his fingers. Swiftly coating his cock with the gel, he positioned himself at Marko’s entrance. “Last chance to change your mind,” he murmured.

“Tuomas…” Marko pleaded. “Need you… love you…” He reached back, caressing whatever part of his lover he could reach without losing his balance. He gasped in pleasure as Tuomas pressed forward, slowing filling his passage, then moaned as his lover reached around with gel-slick fingers to caress his own throbbing cock.

“Marko… feels so good… love you…” Tuomas moaned, thrusting slowly into his lover’s tight passage. He sucked hard on Marko’s neck, leaving a mark as he stroked his lover’s cock faster. “Come for me, baby,” he whispered. “I want to feel you coming apart in my arms.”

Marko gasped as Tuomas changed the angle of his thrusts and brushed against something that made him see stars with every movement. “Gods… Tuomas… more…” he panted out, all coherent thought lost. Thrusting back harder on his lover’s cock, he felt his balls tighten. “Gonna… come… Tuomas… ohhhh!” He shuddered as the most intense orgasm of his life tore through him, coating his lover’s hand and his own chest with his essence.

“Oh gods…” Tuomas nearly went into sensory overload as Marko’s passage tightened around his throbbing cock at the same time his empathy seemed to go into overdrive, allowing him to feel the force of his lover’s climax. He strained forward, shaking as he flooded Marko’s body with his own seed, his vision fogging over with the intensity of it. Keeping his arm wrapped around Marko, he rolled them to the side before he could actually collapse on top of him, and pressed feather-soft kisses to the back of Marko’s neck. He smiled as Marko’s hair, apparently the only part of him still capable of movement, coiled around the two of them, almost binding them together.

Marko lay bonelessly in his lover’s arms, reveling in the feelings of love and joy emanating from the empath. Unwilling to move – and honestly not entirely sure he’d be able to move anyway – he willed his hair to slide back and gently hold Tuomas against himself. “Wow,” was all he eventually managed, the single word somehow expressing satisfaction, awe, love, and pure bliss all at once. He felt as much as heard Tuomas chuckle against his back.

“Wow is right,” the keyboardist murmured in a husky voice. “I love you, Marko.”

“And I love you, Tuomas.”

They drifted into a contented slumber, still cuddled close. They shared the shower in the morning, which led to them showing up for breakfast even later than Emppu, which caused a few raised eyebrows. But if any of the others noticed Marko sitting a bit gingerly along with the goofy grins on both faces, they only smiled to themselves and refrained from teasing, at least for the moment.

*************************************************

In the archives the following day, a young female tax office clerk looking forward to attending a performance by Nightwish after receiving a letter from a friend who’d seen them play in the border town, decided to look up the files that the bearded member of the group had been looking through. She really wasn’t supposed to, but she wanted to satisfy her own curiosity. If he had any sort of connections to the area, perhaps she could use them as an excuse to introduce herself to him. But she frowned when his research seemed to mostly be into orphaned girls, or girls raised in fosterage for one reason or another. Then her eyes widened when she saw the final file he’d signed out.

Taking the files with her, she hurried to the Master Archivist. “Sir,” she said, “I believe I’ve spotted something that could be important, even vital, to all of Corona.”

The Master Archivist raised a brow. “Oh?” he asked. “What have you found, Lotte?” He knew her as one of the more level-headed clerks working in the archives, so he was willing to give her a fair hearing.

“The man with the hair and beard, the one the people at the terminal said claimed the god-sword,” she said. “You know he’s been here looking through the records for the last couple of days.” She blushed and admitted, “I looked at what files he’d signed out, as I plan on attending one of the performances of the band he’s in, and I thought perhaps if I could help him in his research, I’d have an excuse to speak with him. He’s been looking for his ancestry following his mother’s passing… and I think there’s a chance his late mother was… the Lost Princess.”

“What!?!” The Master Archivist surged to his feet. “Show me how you came to this conclusion!”

Lotte went through her reasoning, starting by noting the files the bearded man had initially checked out, and the order in which he’d discarded them. She explained that his initial inquiry had stated he was trying to track his late mother’s parentage and so sought the birth records of baby girls of a certain age, and that by process of elimination, it appeared that the missing princess was only recorded girl of the proper age who didn’t also have a record of placement with a certified foster-mother, local marital records, or both. “I suppose in the interest of fairness, it’s entirely possible that his mother simply didn’t come from Corona in the first place, even if she was raised here,” Lotte concluded. “But if there’s the slightest chance…”

“Yes,” the Master Archivist agreed. “If there is the slightest chance that he’s the son of our missing princess, Their Majesties must be notified. They’re the only ones who can order him detained for the healing mages to test his heritage. I don’t know if such tests exist in the eastern realms, but even if they do, he might have assumed that a test there wouldn’t give enough information to aid his research due to his mother being from the west.” He smiled. “Lotte, you’ve done well in calling this to my attention. Thank you. Under the circumstances I won’t reprimand you for nosing into the man’s research for your own reasons. That said, please do not approach him when you attend the performance by his band. I’m assuming he hasn’t figured it out for himself since he hasn’t returned to look for more information, and I don’t wish to chance him learning that he might be Their Majesties’ grandson until such time as he’s been tested.”

“Thank you, sir, and I won’t approach him,” Lotte said, bobbing a curtsey before exiting the office and returning to her desk in the tax records office.

The Master Archivist, however, took an hour or so to write up a full report of his conversation with the clerk Lotte, including her reasoning for reaching the conclusion she had and then bundled the report together with the relevant records. Once he finished that, he called for his carriage to bring him directly to the palace. This news could prove too important to trust to a simple messenger.

The king and queen, given the first hint in well over thirty years as to what happened to their daughter, initially wanted to order the young man in question to immediately submit himself to a healing mage for a heritage test. The Commander of the City Guard, however, pointed out that the man in question was a member of the band of eastern minstrels whose arrival in Crown City had caused such a stir, and that they risked protest if not rioting should they be prevented from performing as scheduled, given that five of the busiest inns had arranged for them to appear. In the end, at the Commander’s suggestion, they decided to “hear about” the eastern minstrels and invite them for a command performance in the palace following their final appearance at the various inns. They could then have the healing mages test all of the minstrels, using the pretense that any guests of the crown had to be examined by healers to make sure they weren’t carrying any illnesses that might affect the elderly rulers.

*********************************

Although they tried to stick together as much as possible, as the lone woman in the group, Floor still had to room separately from the others. However, she made a point of requesting that Tuomas – as her brother – be allowed to escort her all the way to her room each night, and if the innkeeper still had concerns about her respectability, he was welcome to send an employee of his choice along as well, to make sure Tuomas returned to the common room afterwards. Two of the inns actually did insist on sending someone along for the walk up to her room on their first night there, but when it became obvious that the two were not attempting to hide a clandestine affair behind the claim of being siblings, and that she and Kai were courting under the watchful eye of Tuomas, they quickly stopped bothering.

After their second show at the Sated Tyger, they nearly had a repeat of the Marneville incident. Emppu headed upstairs ahead of the others, using his “I’m not here” illusion to stow away their tips, only to spot a server letting a girl into Kai’s room. To his disgust, a second server with a girl in tow came up nearly as soon as the first server went back downstairs. The second server let the girl into Marko’s room. He didn’t bother checking his room, or the rooms allotted to Troy and Tuomas; he simply made his way back down to the bar and dropped his illusion. Spotting Rolf the innkeeper, he called the man to one side and explained what he’d seen. He then hurried over to the rest of the band and warned them not to go upstairs until Rolf gave them the all-clear.

As they sat in the common room answering questions about their music, Emppu noticed a furious Rolf waving several members of the City Guard upstairs. The Guards returned a few minutes later escorting a trio of weeping and half-clad girls, who they quickly led from the inn. A buzz of speculation and gossip started as soon as the door closed behind them.

“I bet they’ll be bound for the train come morning!”

“That, or married off!”

“I wonder who let them up to the men’s wing?”

“Who do you suppose they were meeting?”

“Oh please! They had to have been trying to meet someone from Nightwish!”

“Foolish girls. The Nightwish men are easterners, yes, but what easterner ever comes here unless they’re looking for relatives? And how would they have relatives here unless their own mothers were put on the train? No, those men know better than to encourage the local girls.”

Marko lifted his pint glass in the direction of the person making that last comment. “Thank you for your belief in our good behavior,” he said. “You’re quite right, we do know better than to encourage – or be encouraged by – the local girls.” He grinned as a few people teased the person commenting about forgetting that the men were still in the room.

Rolf came over just then, letting them know that their rooms had been cleared of unauthorized visitors and that the servers who’d taken coin for permitting said visitors access to their rooms were being disciplined.

The next incident took place during their fifth show, at an inn called the Blue Unicorn. A small percentage of the audience that night seemed more inclined to glare at one another rather than to enjoy the music. The brawl started by the bar, but quickly spread through the common room. The sheer number of people present, whether fighting or trying to evade the fighting, only made the chaos worse. One shifty-eyed fellow tried to take advantage of that chaos to steal Emppu’s guitar case with their tips, only for Marko to spot him approaching. The bassist loosened his hair tie and headbanged at the would-be thief as he reached for the case, his hair whipping out to capture the man in its coils. The inn’s peacekeepers broke up the brawl and called for the City Guard to collect the instigators and the would-be thief. After the show, Marko had more people than usual crowding around him, wanting to know how he used his hair the way he did, and if they could learn to do the same.

As they neared the end of their planned two weeks of performances, everyone in Nightwish started to relax a little. They arrived at the Dancing Dragon Inn, the site of their final two shows, and settled into their rooms before gathering in the common room to speak with the innkeeper about the logistics of their performances. Each inn having a different layout, they’d learned to discuss the details with the innkeeper at least a few hours before the show, to make sure they would have enough space for all their gear and that they wouldn’t be blocking the servers’ path to the kitchens or the bar area.

They’d discovered that the minstrel’s platform at many of the inns was tiny, designed to hold perhaps two people with a quarter of the equipment they used. More than once, they’d set up Kai’s drum kit plus a barstool for Troy – whose small pipes were meant to be played while sitting down – on the platform and then the rest of them spaced themselves out in front of it. It looked as if they’d have to do just that once again, so they pulled out their gear and worked out how best to arrange themselves for the shows.

“Two more shows and we can go home,” Marko said with a smile as they wrapped up their setup and sat down to have a quick meal of sandwiches before the Dancing Dragon Inn would open the common room to the general public for the show. “Zach’s gonna be disappointed that I’ve joined a new band, but he and the guys are satisfied to just play the bars on Open Mike nights. Anyway, he knows I really want to make music my career, and I think Nightwish has the potential to become really big.”

“Let’s hope we manage to make the next train,” Tuomas said. “I asked around and got a few different answers as to how long it’ll take us to get to the terminal from here. If everything goes perfectly, we ought to get there a day or so before the train leaves, but if anything happens to delay us on the road, even a good rainstorm, we might get there just after it leaves and be stuck at the terminal’s hostel for a month.”

Emppu made a face. “Well, that just does it. We’re gonna jog the whole way to the terminal, because I do not want to spend a whole month with those stupid fu… reaking roosters screeching their fool heads off at the crack of dawn.”

Floor laughed and nudged him. “I heard you hate roosters so much you’ve cursed them out in your sleep,” she teased.

Emppu rolled his eyes at Kai. “Telling tales on me, are you?”

Kai grinned back. “Why not?” he asked. “I’m sure you’d do the same for me, if you could pin anything on me. I’m pretty sure I sleep quietly, though.”

“You do,” Marko put in. “At least, you did that one night you ended up in our tent. I think that’s a good way to divide up the accommodations any time we have to share, though – quiet sleepers and noisy ones.”

“It’s a good thing Emppu and Troy get along so well, then,” Floor said with a grin, “since one talks in his sleep and the other one snores.”

“I snore?” Troy asked, looking surprised.

“Yes,” four voices said simultaneously.

“The tents aren’t exactly soundproof,” Tuomas added, “which is why we know that while sleeping, Emppu’s not only cussed out roosters, he’s also expressed the opinion that pancakes ought to be made with coffee mixed into the batter and chocolate syrup on top.”

“I said what?!?” Emppu looked gobsmacked, causing everyone to laugh. “Sometimes I really hate you,” he grumbled, although he couldn’t help but chuckle. Then he looked thoughtful. “I wonder how that would taste,” he mused, causing the others to laugh again.

“Save experimenting in the kitchen until we’re home,” Tuomas advised. “We need to finish up and take our places so they can let the audience in.” Suiting actions to words, he popped the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth before draining the last of his wine.

They carried their plates over to the bar, earning a smile of thanks to the trio of bartenders prepping for the imminent rush of orders, and took up their positions on and in front of the minstrel’s platform. The lead bartender whistled sharply, and a moment later, they heard the sound of someone unbarring the door of the inn.

A tidal wave of people poured into the Dancing Dragon’s common room, swarming the bar and rushing to grab seats at the tables closest to the band. As the crowd grew larger, someone started chanting, “Nightwish! Nightwish!”

Tuomas, Marko, and Floor all looked at each other and smiled. She took a deep breath, grabbed her microphone, and raised her hand for quiet. Once people had somewhat settled down, she beamed and said, “Thank you for such a wonderful welcome tonight! We are Nightwish, and we are thrilled to be here playing for you all! We’re going to get this show started with Ever Dream!”

Tuomas played the intro and Floor came in with the soft opening lines. When the tempo change kicked in, they grinned at the surprise on the faces of those who hadn’t seen them play before. Tuomas sang along under his breath as he played, unable to resist glancing in his lover’s direction as Marko belted out, “Dream of me!” behind Floor’s lead vocals.

Halfway through the set, just as Nemo came to a close, a very tipsy young man pushed his way to the front to shove a bouquet of roses at Floor. “Yer sho be-you-ful,” he slurred out. “Marry me?”

“I, uh… I don’t know you,” she stammered out, backing away from the man.

“Don’ ma’er. Be-you-ful girl… an’ yer shinger. Shinger’s good. Shing our babeesh a’shleep,” he countered.

Now looking annoyed, Floor shook her head. “No, I will not marry you. And you’re interrupting the show.”

The drunk frowned. “Bu’ I wanna marry you!”

“I said no!” Floor snapped.

Marko loosened his hair. “The lady said no,” he stated flatly. “Leave, or be removed.”

“You can’ make me,” the drunk said. He lunged at Floor, who grabbed the mic stand and swung it at the man in an effort to keep him away from her.

Marko dropped into a power stance and banged his head, wrapping the drunk up in his hair. The drunk gave a muffled yelp and fell over, just as the inn’s peacekeeper fought his way through the crowd to reach the band. Marko snapped his head back, his hair uncoiling and flinging the drunk into the peacekeeper’s grasp. The peacekeeper dragged him out of the common room.

“Can you finish the show?” Marko asked Floor quietly, as she looked rather shaken now that the immediate danger was over.

Floor looked at him, then at Tuomas, Kai, Emppu, and finally Troy, feeling their caring and support. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again and smiled. “I can,” she murmured. “Thanks for caring.” She straightened her shoulders and grabbed her mic once more. “All right, folks, now that we’ve gotten past that bit of unpleasantness, how about we do something to get us all moving? Because right now, I Want My Tears Back!”

Troy led off with the small pipes and the audience started clapping in time. When they reached the “duel” between the pipes and Emppu’s guitar, most of the patrons were on their feet and dancing. Or at least trying to dance; the size of the crowd meant that most people couldn’t do much more than jump and bounce in time with the music, but their wide smiles said that they were having fun anyway.

Nightwish ended the show on a calmer note, with Sleeping Sun followed by The Islander, and took their bows. After spending at least an hour answering questions from the people crowding around as they worked on breaking down their gear, they were finally packed and ready to call it a night.

The innkeeper hurried over to them, apologizing profusely for the incident and offering them an extra night free if they wanted to postpone the second show.

Floor shook her head. “It’s not your fault,” she told the man. “Marko got him pinned before he managed to lay a hand on me. We’ll just all be a little more on our guard from now on, that’s all.”

“Besides, if we delay our departure, we run the risk of missing the next train back east,” Tuomas said. “I wish I’d thought to ask how long it would take us to get to the terminal from here before I agreed to the show schedule, because we’re going to have to push to make it there in time.”

“My apologies, sir, but you are not going to make this month’s train,” a new voice spoke up.

All six of them turned to look at the newcomer, a man wearing royal livery. “Why?” Tuomas asked.

“Their Majesties King Ranulf and Queen Liesel have heard of Nightwish. They require your presence at the palace immediately following your performance here tomorrow night. You will be given rooms there, and at Their Majesties’ command, you will perform for the Royal Court at some point in the next few days,” the man said. “Some of the City Guard will assist you in packing your belongings and escort you to the palace following your show tomorrow.”

The innkeeper, in an effort to be helpful and not noticing the frozen expressions on the faces of Floor and Marko, asked, “Would it be possible to have the City Guard here even before the performance begins? We had a bit of unpleasantness tonight, when a drunken lout accosted the young lady in the middle of the show. Fortunately, her bandmate defended her quite ably, and restrained the man until my peacekeeper worked his way through the crowd to remove him. I imagine a visible uniformed guardsman or two ought to reduce the chances of another such incident.”

The messenger nodded. “I will arrange it,” he said. “Pleasant evening to you all.” He gave a short bow, clicking his heels, and left as quickly as he’d arrived.

The innkeeper bustled off as well, leaving the six of them alone. Kai put up a sound wall around the minstrel’s platform and then wrapped a reassuring arm around Floor.

“I really wish you’d had more of that peroxide stuff,” Troy said with a sigh. “I’m the one most likely to be recognized at the palace. Maybe I can get hold of some walnut stain in the morning, cut my hair and dye it dark? Because if they do recognize me, they’re bound to suspect Floor’s identity.”

“That’s probably a good idea, then,” Tuomas agreed. “I’ll buy it and bring it back here for you, though. My hair’s dark enough they might think that I dye it all the time and just need to touch up the color.”

“Buy a pair of shears as well,” Floor said. “While none of us are barbers, surely one of us can figure out how to give Troy a nice-looking haircut.”

Emppu sighed. He liked Troy’s hair, but also understood the situation. “Think we ought to try to buy some kind of good clothes, you know, dress up for Court and all that?” he asked.

Kai shook his head. “No,” he said. “Why would we? Everyone knows minstrels are a scruffy lot, always spending more on their instruments than their clothing. Besides which, it’s not likely any seamstress or tailor could get six outfits done tomorrow. No, if they want us there, they can take us as we are.”

“I agree,” Marko said. “As much as I’m tempted to say let’s get out of town tonight, that we’re from Suomellen and therefore shouldn’t be subjected to the whims of the local monarchy, I think doing that would create more problems than it would solve. But at the same time, showing up as we are, in our scruffy traveling clothes and Floor in trews, sends the message that we’re being polite by performing at their request but that we aren’t impressed by the whole royal bit. And they can’t even claim we did it deliberately to insult them, because they didn’t exactly give us enough notice to obtain anything better for ourselves to wear.”

Troy thought about that for a moment. “Yes, you’re right about that,” he said. “Of course, they might provide court clothes for us, in which case we suck it up and wear them unless there’s a very good reason not to – Floor couldn’t wear something requiring tightly laced corsets while singing, for example.”

“Floor would much rather not wear something requiring one of those torture devices at all, thank you,” she muttered balefully. “I don’t care how good corsets make one’s figure look. I happen to prefer the way I look when I can breathe properly.”

Kai smiled and gave her a kiss. “I think you’re beautiful no matter what you wear,” he murmured.

Floor blushed. “Thank you,” she murmured in return.

Tuomas sighed. “I guess we might as well get some sleep. Whatever ends up coming of this, we’ll all face it more easily if we’re rested.”

Everyone agreed and started moving towards their rooms. After escorting Floor to her room and making sure she’d locked herself in safely, Tuomas made his way to the men’s wing. He grinned faintly as Emppu slipped out of his room to make his way to Troy’s, even as he himself bypassed his door to join Marko for the night.


	12. Chapter 12

In the morning, Tuomas and Emppu sought out shears and walnut dye in the marketplace. Kai and Floor between them managed to give Troy a decent haircut that flattered him while leaving him much less recognizable. They all grinned when the walnut dye darkened his hair to almost the same shade of sable sported by Tuomas. “Does this mean I’m also your brother now?” Troy joked.

“I’m good with it as long as you don’t mind having my moody ass in the family,” Tuomas joked back.

“Since when are you moody?” Troy asked. “I haven’t seen you being anything other than happy when there isn’t a specific concern we’re dealing with.”

Emppu gave his boyfriend a quick grin. “Yeah, well, you also didn’t meet him until after he met Marko,” he said to chuckles from everyone, Tuomas included.

True to the word of the royal messenger the previous night, four City Guards in uniform appeared at the inn about an hour before the show, eating with the band and taking up positions around the common room before the doors opened to the public, making it clear that anyone trying to approach any band member before the end of the show would be dealt with expeditiously. Despite everyone’s concerns over their summons to the palace, they still pulled themselves together well enough that the patrons of the Dancing Dragons didn’t notice anything amiss in their performance that evening. After the final song, they broke down their gear while chatting with the curious as they normally did, although thanks to the presence of the City Guard, they weren’t crowded as much as usual. As soon as they were finished, the Guardsmen picked up their larger bags, leaving them their personal packs to carry, and escorted them out to a pair of carriages, which carried them to the palace.

Upon arrival, servants emerged to take their bags and escorted them to the rooms they’d been allotted. “Please remain in your room tomorrow until you’re summoned,” they were each told. “As Their Majesties are elderly and their heir presumptive but a child, palace protocol demands all visitors be seen by a healer mage before being allowed access to the Court, to be certain they’re not carrying any illnesses that could spread. It’s just a formality, and nothing to be concerned about. Your meals will be brought to you.”

“We do need to rehearse every day, though,” Tuomas told the servant escorting him. “We can’t do that if we’re stuck in our own rooms.”

The servant nodded. “I will speak with those in authority, to see about giving you access to a room in which you may all gather,” he said. “Someone will let you know in the morning.”

Tuomas sighed. “Very well, thank you,” he said.

“Have a pleasant evening, sir,” the servant said before exiting.

“Not likely,” Tuomas muttered as the servant shut the door behind himself. As luxurious as the bed here might be, it lacked the presence of a certain long-haired and bearded bass player and so he wasn’t able to truly to relax despite its comfort.

They all eventually managed to sleep, even if not nearly as well as in their tents or the inns where they’d been performing. After breakfast, a healing mage and a tailor visited each of the men, the former performing an examination which included taking a sample of their blood, and the latter bringing in clothing more appropriate for an audience with royalty than their traveling outfits. Floor also received a visit from a healing mage and a dressmaker accompanied by two assistants, with whom she got into an argument when the woman attempted to put her into corsets.

“No!” Floor finally shouted, “I am a singer! I can’t breathe properly in corsets, let alone perform!”

“Bah! The ladies of the Court manage to sing well enough when they have their little musicales,” the dressmaker sniffed.

Floor shook her head. “We don’t perform anything like the local popular music. Can your Court ladies sing like this?” She took a deep breath and belted out, “Nemo sailing on! NEMO LETS IT GOOOOO!”

The young assistants giggled behind their hands as the dressmaker actually stumbled back a couple of steps, a look of utter shock on her face. “Oh… no… no, the ladies of the Court sing nothing like that… but you also cannot appear in Court in… those.” She gestured dismissively towards Floor’s tunic and trews.

“I don’t object to wearing a dress of some sort,” Floor said. “I only object to anything that will keep me from performing, and corsets will keep me from performing.” She smiled, adding, “Also, if you can create something both elegant and loosely fitted, you may be credited with starting a whole new fashion. Are you equal to such a challenge?”

“Of course I am!” snapped the dressmaker. “I am, after all, the most exclusive dressmaker in all of Corona. Marta, my sketchbook!”

One of the assistants stepped forward, handing the dressmaker a sketchbook and a stick of charcoal. The other opened a case containing samples of fabric and trim.

The dressmaker nodded approvingly. “Now then, do you object to anything fitted through the waist, or just to anything confining?” she asked Floor.

The young singer considered. “I think fitted through the waist should be all right, as long as it’s not fitted so tightly that it constricts my breathing. Or loosely fitted but belted to provide some definition to my figure?”

The dressmaker brightened. “Of course! I shall create a modern style of an elegant yet ancient design. With your great height, I believe it will suit you most admirably. Greta, the black silk.” She started sketching. “Do you play an instrument as well as sing?” she asked, looking up from the sketchbook. “Will I need to keep sleeves from becoming caught in the strings of a harp or mandolin?”

“No,” Floor said. “I only sing in the band.”

“Perfect,” the dressmaker said. She held up a sketch of an amazingly simple, yet lovely dress with half-sleeves with several small openings along the length, a moderately low neckline, and a skirt which fell to the ground in graceful folds. She took the swatch of black silk from her assistant and held it up to Floor’s face and hair. “Yes, the black silk with black and gold trimming and a black and gold silk cord for the sash, this will be perfect with your coloring.” I shall return tomorrow morning for your fitting,” she said, sweeping out of the room. Her assistants scurried to pack up the samples and hurried after her.

Not long afterwards, another servant tapped on everyone’s doors, letting them know that the chamber at the end of the hall where their rooms were located had been placed at their disposal so they could hold their rehearsals. They quickly gathered there with their gear and started setting up Kai’s drum kit, chatting as they did so.

“I heard you singing out a line from Nemo earlier,” Tuomas said to Floor. “What was that all about?”

She laughed. “Oh, I just had to demonstrate for the dressmaker they sent why I was refusing to consider anything that required corsets – which was pretty much everything she was trying to put me in. She kept saying that the ladies of the Court could sing in corsets, so why couldn’t I do so as well? I got tired of trying to explain, and simply let her hear the difference between what the ladies around here are most likely to sing and what Nightwish music is like.”

“I trust you reached a satisfactory compromise?” Troy asked.

“Yes,” Floor said with a nod. “I basically challenged her to come up with something that would be both suitable for court and loose enough for me to sing properly. I liked the sketch she showed me, so I hope the actual dress lives up to the concept. Did they send tailors to you all as well?”

“Yes,” Marko said. “I got some complaints about my hair, but the clothes they showed me looked like a much nicer version of what we’ve been wearing since coming west. Better fabric, fancy trimming, that sort of thing. And of course, fitted to us rather than something we bought already made and so not fitting perfectly.”

“I have to admit, I like the idea of trews that fit,” Emppu said. “I asked the dude that saw me if they could maybe hem up my traveling clothes, because I’m getting tired of needing to roll up the legs of my trews four or five times a day.”

“I don’t blame you there,” Kai said sympathetically. “But at least you can roll them up? You remember how long it took me to find three tunics that weren’t too tight across the shoulders.”

Emppu nodded. “Yeah. Too big is a pain in the ass… sorry, Floor… but too small is worse.”

Floor laughed. “Guys, I do appreciate you trying to use polite language around me, but honestly, you don’t have to apologize every time you use a crude word. I promise not to swoon just because someone swears in my presence.”

“Tuomas, Floor, is anyone around besides us?” Marko asked.

The two empaths focused their attention outward for a moment and then shook their heads. “No, I’m not picking up anyone close,” Tuomas said.

“Me either,” said Floor.

“Good,” Marko said. He moved over and wrapped his arms around Tuomas. “I missed you last night,” he whispered to his lover.

Tuomas smiled and kissed him. “Yeah, me too,” he admitted. “I’ve gotten used to having you next to me.”

Emppu and Troy slid their arms around one another as well. “I’ll be glad to get out of here,” Emppu said, “Even if we will have to either sleep in the tents or listen to those damn roosters for weeks.”

Kai took Floor’s hand with a soft smile. “How are you holding up?” he asked quietly. “I know being here has to be hardest on you and Troy.”

She shrugged a little. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m definitely nervous. But kind of, I don’t know, numb, maybe? Something. Whatever happens now, I can’t do anything about it, I can only go along with it and hope for the best.”

He nodded. “I can only imagine. Just know that I’m here for you, whatever you might need, okay?”

“Hold me for a little while?” she asked softly.

He responded by pulling her into his arms. “Better?”

“Yes,” she said, leaning against him and closing her eyes.

The three couples spent about half an hour cuddling and kissing before Marko reluctantly pointed out that they were supposed to be rehearsing and that they didn’t want to risk servants coming by to listen and instead discovering them in what the locals might well consider compromising positions. With sighs all around, they separated and picked up their respective instruments.

“What are we doing first?” Floor asked.

Tuomas shrugged a little. “Well, if there’s anything in the set list that we’ve been playing that you think you still need some work on, we can start with that. But since we’ll be going home as soon as possible, I thought it might be good for you and Troy to start learning some of the stuff we figured wouldn’t go over too well around here. You know, get you used to the style, figure out where Troy’s instruments will fit in, all that good stuff.”

She exchanged a glance with Troy, who shrugged. “Well, I think we’re both good with what we’ve been playing. Why do you think your other music wouldn’t be appreciated here?”

Emppu laughed. “Well, think about a song like Ever Dream. You saw how freaked out some of the audience got when you sang ‘for my taste, for my lust,’ right? And that song is just about imagining one’s perfect love, the person who embodies everything you’ve ever wanted in a romantic partner. Some of the other stuff Tuomas wrote is even more blatantly sexual than that. So, yeah – they flat out told us when we boarded the train that the carriages were segregated by gender because the west ‘holds to moral standards and won’t tolerate any shenanigans’ on board, so we figured that a song screaming ‘I’m in love with my lust’ probably would get people all up in arms about the indecency.”

“And of course, a lot of the music is more, aggressive, I think is probably the best word,” Tuomas said. “Again using Ever Dream as an example, you’ve seen how startled people get when it goes from that soft intro to the drums and guitars kicking in. How about a song that starts out even more in-your-face, musically speaking? If people had no idea of eastern music, I can see where they could be put off by it. Well, just listen to how Slaying the Dreamer kicks off, just guitar and bass, Kai hasn’t heard this one yet either.”

Marko and Emppu picked up their instruments and looked at each other. Emppu gave a nod and they tore into the heavy opening riff of the song.

“Well, I can see why you figured the locals might not like that one so much, especially if it’s their first time hearing eastern music,” Troy said when they finished playing a few repeats of the riff. “It is a bit angry sounding, isn’t it?”

Tuomas laughed. “And you haven’t even seen the lyrics yet. The last line says, ‘I truly hate you all!’ As you can see, I wasn’t kidding when I called myself moody. I wrote the lyrics for this one when I… well, some rumors had gone around school that I did something really bad, and most everyone turned on me because of it. I hadn’t done what the rumors accused me of, but no one wanted to hear my side of the story. I channeled my anger into the lyrics and Emppu came up with that killer opening riff and eventually we put it all together into something cohesive.”

Marko smiled. “It’s better than just ‘cohesive’ if you ask me. But since I have seen the lyrics, plus you talked about the shrieking you want done at the end, we might want to wait on trying this one until we’re not in the palace. No need to scare the servants, or worse yet, security, into thinking we’re murdering Floor.”

“Good point,” Emppu said with a laugh of his own. “How about Dark Chest of Wonders instead? There’s nothing controversial in the lyrics in that one, and I don’t recall any shrieking, either.” He plucked a single string, frowned slightly, and adjusted a tuning knob before plucking that string once more. “Okay, better. Anyway, Dark Chest was one of the earlier songs Tuomas wrote, back when we still thought that girl from school was going to sing for us, before she married that pr… uh, jerk, who thought she could do better going solo.”

Floor rifled through the sheets of music Tuomas gave her the evening she suggested she should join the band. “Okay, here it is. Go over the melody first?”

“Of course.” Tuomas gave her a quick smile and started playing the vocal melody while she listened, then sang along on the second try.

“Okay, I think I have it,” she said. “Shall we try with all of us?”

Troy shrugged. “I really need to hear the song all out before I can figure out how to work myself and my instruments in with the rest of you, so go for it.”

“Let’s do it,” Emppu said. After a couple of false starts, they got all the way through the song twice. By the end of the second run-through, everyone was smiling. “Kai, Troy? You’re just gonna have to forgive me for a minute here,” he said. Grabbing a wooden chair, he dragged it over to Floor and hopped up on it to make up for their rather large difference in height and planted a noisy smack of a kiss on her lips.

She started laughing, as did Marko and Tuomas. “What was that for?” she asked as Emppu hopped down again and slid the chair back out of the way.

“Because with you singing, Nightwish is gonna be the biggest thing ever in Suomellen,” he stated with a huge smile. “And that jerk of an agent who talked our old friend from school out of joining the band is gonna choke on his attitude.”

Troy grinned. “I won’t disagree with you, but don’t the rest of us get kisses too?”

“Well, if you insist,” Emppu said, a glint in his eye and an evil grin on his face. He ran around behind the drum kit, grabbing Kai from behind and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Dodging the halfhearted swat the laughing drummer aimed in his direction, he jumped behind the keyboards and pulled Tuomas down to also give him a peck on the cheek as his old friend just rolled his eyes. Moving to Marko, Emppu graced him with a kiss on the lips that didn’t quite linger, but definitely gave the impression of being flirtatious. Finally the little blond shoved his guitar to his back and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, kissing him deeply.

Troy melted into that kiss, pulling Emppu close. When they finally pulled back, he chuckled. “I should have known better than to say something like that, shouldn’t I?”

“Probably,” Emppu agreed cheerfully. “I’ll be the first to admit, when amongst friends, it’s really damn rare for me to pass up the opportunity for mischief. Especially when it’s dropped into my lap like that.”

“I’ll have to remember that for the future,” Troy said, grinning. “Unfortunately, I suspect we ought to get back to rehearsing.”

“Probably a good idea,” Tuomas said. “It’s getting close enough to lunchtime that there’s a chance they’ll send us food soon. We don’t want the servants or anyone else gossiping about our personal lives.”

They settled down and ran through Dark Chest of Wonders twice more before a pair of servants knocked on the door, bringing in a midday meal for all of them. They relaxed and ate, debating whether Troy’s whistles or his bouzouki would work better in the song and finally deciding on the bouzouki. When they finished, they played Dark Chest of Wonders twice more, letting Troy and Tuomas figure out how to incorporate the bouzouki into the music. They were about to start a new song, which Tuomas called 7 Days to the Wolves, when more servants knocked on the door.

“My apologies for the interruption, but you are all needed for your final fittings for your Court garb,” one said. “No one will disturb your instruments here, so you may return when you’re finished to pack them up, or you may leave them here overnight so that you won’t have to set them up again in the morning, as you prefer.”

“We’ll be there momentarily,” Tuomas said with a nod.

He wasn’t sure about leaving his keyboards out overnight, but he also understood that as guests of the monarchs, they had to follow their hosts’ schedule for them. The keys admittedly took a bit of time to break down, and Kai’s drum kit took even longer, so they had to leave them until later at the very least. Troy, Emppu, and Marko all cased their respective instruments against accidents, then they all trooped out of the chamber where they’d been practicing and returned to their own rooms.

The men’s fittings didn’t take too terribly long, but they were told they would be officially presented to Their Majesties before the evening meal, which they would then take with the rest of the Court, so when their tailors pronounced the fit of their clothing as satisfactory, they headed back to properly break down and pack up their gear. Predicably, Floor’s fitting took longer, but eventually the seamstress approved and then called for a maid to arrange Floor’s hair into an appropriate style before the group got called for their presentation to the monarchs.

*************************************

Earlier that day, the healing mages who had examined the group met with the king and queen and their advisors to present their findings. “The short one, Emppunel, appears to be exactly who he says he is, the child of a woman native to the eastern country of Suomellen, who simply traveled with his friend for the sake of the adventure. The two called Kaiderel and Tuomasell, despite being born in Suomellen, it seems that both of their mothers originally came from Bordeaux. This fits with the report from Marneville that they came west at the request of their families; Kaiderel to seek out his aunt and Tuomasell to collect the rent on his now-elderly grandfather’s property there. The heritage trace merely indicates ‘divine’ on the paternal side for all three of them,” the senior healing mage said.

King Ranulf raised a brow. “So, it appears the tales of gods walking the world and seducing the occasional girl are true after all. Not that I blame the parents for sending the girls east, as having a bastard child, even by a god, would hurt the girl’s chances of making a marriage here.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty, which brings us to the man Markopunzel,” the senior healing mage said, silently praying that any royal rage wouldn’t be directed at him for divulging his findings. “He was also born and raised in Suomellen, but came here seeking out his late mother’s parentage, a request she made of him while on her deathbed. While there is no indication as to who raised his mother or how she came to be in Suomellen, the heritage trace confirms that he is your grandson. It also indicates ‘divine’ on the paternal side, and the report from the guard that questioned him when he arrived in Crown City indicated that whoever may have raised the princess following her abduction sent her east due to her pregnancy.”

Seeing the frown on King Ranulf’s face, one of the other healing mages hastily put in, “Because we know nothing about how the princess was raised or by whom, we must allow for the possibility that whoever raised her didn’t know she was the princess, and simply sent her east as nearly any guardian of a girl with a baby on the way and no one to marry her would do. Alternatively, she was raised by her kidnapper, who sent her east because any plans the kidnapper might have had – perhaps they intended forcing the princess to wed a man of their choice before revealing her parentage or perhaps they intended to position themselves as her most trusted advisors so as to become the power behind the throne – would have been ruined by her having a baby out of wedlock. Perhaps we should be grateful that her kidnappers merely sent her east instead of killing her outright?”

Queen Liesel took King Ranulf’s hand. “Let’s just be grateful that we’ve found our grandson and have a chance to learn about our daughter.”

The king sighed but nodded. “What of the other man and the woman?” he asked.

The senior healing mage looked uncomfortable. “Well, Sire, they present a bit of an issue,” he said carefully. “As you may know, we received official word from Queen Ariveena of Natexia that her sister, the Princess Flooriel, was presumed dead following an attack while she traveled to Bordeaux with the intention of establishing an embassy there. She was traveling incognito, with only her tutor Lord Troymer of Dunbroch, her maid, and a small contingent of guards. According to the official report, the maid was the only survivor of an attack by an overwhelming force.”

“Don’t tell me,” King Ranulf groaned. “Princess Flooriel and Lord Troymer of Dunbroch arrived here along with our grandson, as members of this group of minstrels?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the senior healing mage said. “And while I regret needing to complicate the situation further, both of them also have ‘divine’ listed under their paternal heritage.”

King Ranulf frowned again. “I’ve never heard the slightest hint that the Dowager Queen Ariel ever took a lover, either before or after King Eric’s death. I do know that Princess Flooriel was born almost exactly nine months after he left on that ill-fated final voyage of his. I suppose it’s possible that a god disguised himself as King Eric and fooled Queen Ariel into thinking he was her husband.”

The Minister of Diplomatic Relations spoke up then. “It’s as good a guess as any, Your Majesty. But in light of some of the reports of jealously from Queen Ariveena towards Princess Flooriel that we’ve seen from our agents in Natexia, and the fact that none of our agents in Natexia or Bordeaux have reported any disturbances along the Natexia road, I believe there is more to the story than meets the eyes. This is pure speculation on my part here, but could Queen Ariveena have tried to rid herself of the sister she appears to consider a threat to her rule? Particularly if she had even the slightest suspicion that Princess Flooriel was not, in fact, fathered by King Eric, and therefore not actually of Natexian blood. The guard contingent could have been bribed to run either before or during the attack. The guards themselves could have been selected by Queen Ariveena and ordered to kill the ones they were ostensibly protecting once they were far enough away from any settled areas.”

“Are there any other explanations for this?” King Ranulf wanted to know.

The Minister paused to consider, then said, “I can’t discount the possibility that Princess Flooriel and Lord Troymer of Dunbroch evaded their guards, perhaps to elope, and the guards chose to vanish rather than admit this. However, I consider this unlikely, as he’s been her tutor for five years now and there’s never been a hint of any improper behavior on his part.”

“I can say that Princess Flooriel’s examination results indicated her purity,” the senior healing mage put in. “I have to assume that all of her companions acted as gentlemen since her inclusion in the group.”

“Furthermore, had Lord Troymer simply wanted to seduce his way to a kingdom, he could have done so by accepting the overtures made by Queen Ariveena before she ascended her throne,” the Minister continued. “And yes, our agents did witness at least two attempts on her part to seduce him despite him being born of one of those barbaric rituals they practice in the region of Dunbroch. I’m frankly still shocked after all this time, that Princess Merida was permitted to participate at all. But I suppose since she does have three brothers, she was given a bit of latitude as barring an accident, she was already highly unlikely to get any closer than fourth in line for the throne of Dunbroch, and of course, in that region, a child born of one of those rituals is considered a blessed gift rather than a bastard, so having Lord Troymer didn’t hurt Princess Merida’s status, at least among other kingdoms of the region. But I digress. If I had to guess, whether Princess Flooriel and Lord Troymer were fleeing for their lives or simply escaping their guards for whatever reason, they most likely didn’t reveal their true identities to the other four men, but simply asked if they could travel together for safety.”

“And then further established themselves as commoners by willingly performing as minstrels together with the others,” Queen Liesel said with a nod. “So, we intend claiming Markopunzel as our grandson and making him our heir over young Mattias. How do you suggest we handle the situation with Princess Flooriel and Lord Troymer of Dunbroch?”

“Acknowledge them,” the Minister said promptly. “Question them under an honesty spell if you feel the need to know how they came to be in the company of the other four, but regardless of their reasons, making their presence public will cause fewer problems than trying to keep their identities hidden. If they truly were attacked, we’ll earn the gratitude of Natexia for aiding their princess. If Queen Ariveena was actually behind the attack, we can leverage that knowledge to gain an advantage in trade or other diplomatic exchanges. And in the unlikely event they were trying to elope, we’ll gain Queen Ariveena’s gratitude for saving her sister from an unsuitable match.”

“And the other three?” King Ranulf asked.

The Minister shrugged. “They’re easterners. I suppose it would be appropriate to allow them to remain in the Palace as guests for two weeks, perhaps a couple of days longer than that, as Tuomasell was heard saying they would have to hurry to make the next train east and that was when their plan was to set out for the terminal first thing this morning. As the chances of them arriving there before the next train departs are now slim to none, and the only thing delaying their departure was your request for their presence here in the Palace, it seems fair to allow them some time to enjoy the luxury of the Palace before they return to their homes in the east. I imagine Prince Markopunzel will also appreciate the presence of his friends as he adjusts to his new life, too.”

King Ranulf nodded. “True enough and thank you for thinking about that. I understand they should undergo their final fittings for the Court garb we ordered prepared for them no later than midafternoon. Once they’re all dressed appropriately, they can be officially presented before the Court and join everyone for the evening meal afterwards. Following the meal, we can question them under honesty spells, particularly with regards to Princess Flooriel and Troymer. Our grandson will, of course, require an intensive course of learning with regards to Corona’s history, not to mention governance and law. But aside from etiquette and dance, his lessons can wait until his eastern friends have left.”

Queen Liesel had a distressing thought. “What if Markopunzel objects to his new status?” she asked softly.

“Nonsense,” King Ranulf replied. “Why would he object? He’ll be king after me! Why would anyone be unhappy at the thought of ruling, especially such a beautiful and prosperous kingdom as Corona? The only thing I possibly see him objecting to is the upcoming lessons in history and law, but honestly it isn’t that difficult to learn. So, he’s a bit old for the lessons, but better late than never. He’ll adjust quickly enough.”

“If you say so,” Queen Liesel nodded. In her heart, though, she still worried that her grandson would prove to be less than happy about the expectations they were about to heap upon him.


	13. Chapter 13

A servant came to collect the group and escort them to the Throne Room for their presentation before King Ranulf, Queen Liesel, and the Court. Floor emerged from her room last of the group, having been at the mercy of the maid styling her hair in an elaborate updo with a few curls framing her face. Her black silk dress with its gold and black trim draped gracefully over her shoulders, sashed at the waist with a gold and black rope, and falling in graceful folds to just brush the ground. The neckline sat high enough for modesty while being just low enough to tantalize, and the loose, flowing sleeves were also made of black silk, but sheer enough that her arms were quite visible. Flat gold sandals completed the ensemble.

Emppu whistled as she stepped out of her room. “Wow!”

“I see you were kinder to whoever did your hair than I was,” Marko joked. “They wanted to give me a haircut, until I demonstrated why they shouldn’t.” He wore his flowing locks brushed smoothly in a single tail down his back, confined by a ribbon which matched his tunic’s trim tied at the nape of his neck, while his forked beard sported two smaller matching ribbons.

Kai smiled and bowed. “You look lovely, m’lady,” he murmured, kissing her hand when she offered it and then tucking it into the crook of his arm. “I trust I may escort you to our destination?”

She flashed him a quick grin. “You may, kind sir,” she said as she happily rested her hand in the crook of his arm.

They followed the servant to the double doors marking the entrance to the Throne Room. “I’ll let the High Steward know you’re here,” he said. “I believe you’re to be called forward individually to be presented to Their Majesties. One of the Gentlemen Ushers will escort you to the thrones, where I trust you know to bow or curtsey to Their Majesties. They will welcome you to the Court of Corona, at which point you will thank them for their welcome and back up three steps before turning to your right, and the Gentleman Usher will then bring you to the Great Hall so that you may dine with the Court this evening.”

They all nodded. “I think we’ll do fine,” Kai said. “We may not be used to such things, but I imagine we’ll be forgiven any minor faux pas as long as we’re seen to be making an effort to follow local customs. As my mother always says, ignorance should be corrected, not berated.”

“It sounds as if your mother is a wise woman,” the servant said, leaving them to go in search of the High Steward. He returned a few minutes later. “All right, a slight change of plans: you’ll be escorted forward as a group. However, the rest of what I said stands. You’ll be presented and then once everyone’s welcomed individually, the group will collectively take three steps back before being escorted to the Great Hall.”

“That works,” Emppu said. Giving his friends a quick grin, he told them, “Don’t worry, I’ll behave. Even I know when not to joke around, and this is definitely one of those times.”

A few more minutes passed before a Gentleman Usher came over and opened the doors to the Throne Room. They followed him down the length of the room to stand before a dais holding the thrones. King Ranulf very much fit the description of an elder statesman; his short, snow-white hair and neatly trimmed goatee giving him an air of wisdom and dignity. Queen Liesel, seated at his left, had obviously been a beauty in her youth and had aged gracefully. The men bowed and Floor curtseyed. When they straightened up, King Ranulf stood.

“Emppunel of Suomellen, We welcome you to Our Court,” said the king.

“I thank you for the kind welcome, Your Majesty,” he replied with another bow.

“Kaiderel of Suomellen, We welcome you to Our Court,” King Ranulf continued.

“Your Majesty is most kind,” Kai said as he bowed again. “Thank you.”

“Tuomasell of Suomellen, We welcome you to Our Court.”

Tuomas bowed once more but he felt uneasy. He could feel a good bit of anticipation coming from the queen and couldn’t figure out why. Observing the proper forms, though, he said, “I am most grateful for Your Majesty’s kindness and welcome.”

King Ranulf went on with the welcomes. “Lord Troymer of Dunbroch, We welcome you to Our Court,” he said.

Only a lifetime of training kept Troy’s voice steady as he bowed. “Thank you for welcoming me to your Court, Your Majesty,” he said.

Floor’s face drained of color as King Ranulf greeted Troy. If they knew who he was, did they also know…

“Princess Flooriel of Natexia, We welcome you to Our Court,” said the king, adding, “and We are most pleased to know that the reports of your demise at the hands of highwaymen were wrong.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said, sinking into another curtsey on suddenly trembling legs. “I am also happy to have escaped with my life.”

Marko dreaded hearing King Ranulf’s next words. He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that someone must have noticed his research in the tax archives and come to the same conclusion he had – and that person had obviously come to the palace with that conclusion.

“Markopunzel of Suomellen, We welcome you to Our Court,” King Ranulf said. “More than that, We welcome you to your proper place here with us, Prince Markopunzel of Corona.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said faintly as he bowed. The sudden hush filling the Throne Room at King Ranulf’s words let everyone present hear him anyway.

Queen Liesel broke protocol then, jumping up from her throne to step off the dais and wrap her arms around Marko. “You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to hold my daughter once more,” she sobbed. “At least now I have the chance to hold my grandson!”

Marko awkwardly hugged Queen Liesel, patting her lightly on the shoulder. “I… really don’t know what to say,” he said.

“Once your grandmother pulls herself together,” King Ranulf said, “we will proceed in to dinner, at which time We will announce you to the rest of the Court.” He looked at the trio of shocked easterners and added, “You do have Our apologies for bringing you all to the Palace under false pretenses but asking for a private performance by Nightwish was the best reason We were able to come up with to get Our grandson examined by a healing mage, who performed a heritage trace on him to confirm his identity. For obvious reasons, Prince Markopunzel and Princess Flooriel cannot continue to act as common minstrels with the rest of you… Lord Troymer, of course, is in a position to choose for himself whether or not he wishes to give up his title for a life of minstrelsy. However, as Our request for your presence here delayed your departure and made it unlikely that you’ll be able to catch this month’s train east, We invite you to remain as Our guests for the next two weeks. This will allow you to reach the terminal with a few days to spare before the next train leaves, while not forcing you to spend the better part of a month out in the middle of nowhere.”

Troy, his etiquette and diplomatic training kicking in, spoke up. “On behalf of all of us, Your Majesty, thank you very much for your offer of hospitality,” he said, bowing and covertly poking Emppu and Tuomas to do the same while hoping Kai would be observant enough to follow suit.

Kai was, and all three easterners bowed again.

The king had to actually tap the queen’s shoulder to get her to finally let go of Marko. “Come, my dear, we have a Court full of people getting hungrier by the moment,” he said. “And don’t forget the discussion scheduled for after the meal.”

Queen Liesel sighed but released her grip on her grandson. “Very well,” she said, stepping back up on the dais and taking King Ranulf’s arm. “We will see you in a few moments. Once again, all six of you are quite welcome to Our Court.”

The five men and Floor backed up the appropriate three steps at a signal from the Gentleman Usher who had escorted them in. He then led them out a different set of doors and into the Great Hall. A long trestle table on a dais occupied the far end of the room, while smaller round tables set around the perimeter, leaving an open space in the center. To their surprise, the Gentleman Usher brought them to the long trestle table, directing Marko to the seat directly to the right of the two thronelike chairs at the center, and seating Floor directly to the left of those chairs. He seated Troy to Floor’s left and signaled for one of the other three to sit beside Troy while the other two should sit on Marko’s right. “The High Steward will announce Their Majesties’ entrance, at which time you should stand,” he told them all. “Do not retake your seat until they have seated themselves to begin the meal. Do not leave the table until they stand to indicate the end of the evening.”

They nodded as Emppu motioned for Kai to sit beside Troy while he took the outside seat on the right, leaving the one beside Marko for Tuomas to claim, all of them moving automatically as they were still in more than a little shock over the events at their presentation. It didn’t help that they’d been paraded through the Great Hall and seated at the High Table while the half of the Court who hadn’t been in the Throne Room stared and whispered. The whispers grew louder as more people entered the Great Hall from the Throne Room and hurried to their seats to tell anyone already at the table what had happened at the presentation.

At some unseen signal, the double doors banged open and everyone stood. “Their Majesties King Ranulf and Queen Liesel,” the High Steward announced.

The king and queen entered the Great Hall together and marched down the center until reaching the dais, where they separated, each walking to one end of it and stepping up, then walking behind the High Table to their places. King Ranulf seated Queen Liesel before placing a hand on Marko’s shoulder. “As We are sure the gossip has arrived before Us, We will keep this simple. On this day, We have had the great good fortune to find the son of Our long-lost daughter, and to welcome him home. Please extend your greetings to Prince Markopunzel of Corona!”

“Long live Prince Markopunzel!” cheered the members of the Court.

“And now, let the feast begin,” said the king, taking his own seat. A moment later, everyone else in the Great Hall followed suit.

Marko only picked at what was probably the most lavish meal he’d seen in his life. He wanted nothing more than to get away from the stares, the whispers, and worst of all, the expectations. He just didn’t know how. He tried not to look at Tuomas, worried that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to hide his feelings for the other man and not wanting to get either of them into trouble. He tried to pay attention to King Ranulf’s discourse instead.

“…thought you’d appreciate a bit of time to spend with your friends before your real lessons begin,” his grandfather said. “Of course, it won’t be all play, but I figured since Lord Troymer has been Princess Flooriel’s tutor for years, he could give you a head start on the sort of etiquette that needs to be second nature for you as the Heir Apparent, and I’m sure Princess Flooriel won’t mind partnering you for your first few dance lessons. Do you think your friends might be willing to provide dance tunes for you, if they were supplied with the sheet music?”

“I can ask,” Marko replied. “I don’t want to assume one way or the other.”

King Ranulf nodded. “Of course. And neither would you want to command them to play for you; for one thing, they’ve been your friends for longer than you’ve known your status, and for another, it’s not always advisable to issue orders to people from other countries.” His lips twitched in a hint of a smile as he added, “And while I admit to doing just that in order to get you into the Palace to confirm your heritage, I believe that under the circumstances, I was justified in doing so.”

Marko merely nodded and took a sip of his wine. He’d have preferred beer, but the wine, a full-bodied red, wasn’t bad. He figured that Troy, Floor, and Tuomas would be pleased by it. They all liked wine, especially red wine.

Emppu, on the far side of Tuomas, tried his best to keep his old friend calm. “I know he’s not talking to you,” he murmured. “But honestly, even I can tell how uncomfortable Marko is right now. We’re in the middle of exactly what we didn’t want to have happen, and His Majesty is yammering on at him besides. If I’m reading him correctly, he’s not talking to you because he’s afraid of losing it completely if he does, and that’s the last thing we need happening while we’re on display in front of the whole Court.”

“You really think so?” Tuomas asked.

“Yeah, I do,” Emppu said. “Risk a probe if you don’t believe me.”

Tuomas did, and nearly choked on his wine when he sensed the near-hysterical state his boyfriend was doing a fine job of masking. He sent a feeling of love and reassurance along the empathic connection before letting it drop and was rewarded by Marko turning to give him a grateful smile before returning his attention to what the king was telling him.

On the other side of King Ranulf, Queen Liesel tried her best to set Floor at ease. “I imagine you’re glad to be somewhere more comfortable than those public inns,” she said. “And where you’ll be treated the way someone of your rank deserves.”

Floor managed to avoid rolling her eyes. “Actually, I found it refreshing to be able to come and go as I pleased, with no one recognizing me, or at least, no one recognizing me as anything but the singer of Nightwish. If someone praised my singing, I knew they really liked my singing and weren’t just flattering the princess. As to the inns themselves, I will admit they don’t come close to the Palace in terms of luxury, but they were perfectly comfortable.”

“Oh?” the queen asked. “I guess I just always heard tales of public inns… how the beds are merely sacks of straw, and as likely as not, full of fleas or other vermin. And of course, that some of the patrons become… intoxicated… and quite disorderly.”

“Well, there’s some truth to the ‘some patrons can become drunk and disorderly’ bit,” Floor admitted. “At our second to last show, one extremely tipsy fellow stumbled his way up front, presented me with flowers, and proposed marriage because I’m pretty and would be able to sing to our future children. When he wouldn’t go away on his own, Marko immobilized him until the inn’s peacekeeper could get through the crowd to eject him. But as to the bit about the beds, all of the inns we stayed in had proper beds with perfectly clean and comfortable mattresses.”

“Markopunzel came to your rescue?” Queen Liesel looked interested in this tidbit. “Would it be fair to say he cares for you?”

Floor picked her words carefully. “Certainly he cares for me as a friend, as do they all. Beyond that, I really wouldn’t want to presume one way or another.”

“Still, he did come to your rescue,” the queen persisted.

“True,” Floor said, “but he also happened to be the closest to me at that point in time. Plus he’s the one with hair that doubles as a weapon. I’ve seen him capture people twice now; that tipsy fellow who accosted me, and at an earlier show, a sneak thief trying to steal coin from the box we had out for tips.”

Queen Liesel nodded. “Well, it’s good to know that my grandson isn’t afraid to do the right thing when he needs to,” she said.

“None of them are,” Floor replied.

Meanwhile Kai poked at his meal, managing a few bites before giving up. He glanced at Troy, noting that the older man wasn’t paying much attention to the food either. “So,” he asked, “do you think you’ll still come to Suomellen with us, or is it going to be three for three disappointed men traveling together?”

“Unless I’m ordered to stay, I’ll go with you,” Troy said. “No matter what happens at this point, I won’t be allowed to continue on in my old position of Floor’s tutor. It would cause too much of a scandal, because there would always be the rumor that we’d fled our security guards to elope. It’s almost guaranteed she’ll be betrothed within weeks, although they’ll wait at least a year for the wedding, just to prove she’s not pregnant by one of us.”

Kai blinked. “They’d really say that?”

Troy nodded. “Of course they would. She’s a young woman who’s been alone in the company of five men. Yes, we passed muster with the inns by claiming she was traveling with her half-brother Tuomas, but everyone knows Princess Flooriel only has an older sister, so now that her true identity is known, the gossips won’t be kind.”

“Damn.” Kai blew out a deep breath. “If I’d known that, I’d have offered to marry her as soon as we got into the city. But I knew she’d have been pretty sheltered growing up and I didn’t want to rush her into anything, you know?”

“I know,” Troy said sympathetically. “And it wouldn’t have been an issue, if only we hadn’t been brought to the Palace.”

“I don’t suppose there’s anything we can do?” Kai asked. “I mean, if I was to propose to her, would she be allowed to marry me, even though I’m not royal and I’m a foreigner besides?”

Troy shook his head. “I doubt it. Queen Ariveena is likely to throw a fit when she learns that Floor is alive and well. Even if she didn’t have something to do with that attack – which I doubt – the fact that she made an official statement that Floor was dead without confirming it somehow is going to make her look terribly foolish. She won’t care for that one bit.” He sighed. “Since Floor is now a guest of the monarchs of Corona, Queen Ariveena most likely won’t attempt assassination again, but she’s almost guaranteed to try to marry Floor off in a way that will benefit Natexia. Even if you were royalty from Suomellen, you’d be out of consideration, because the western kingdoms really don’t want anything to do with the eastern realms.”

Kai nodded. “Yeah, I figured. Had to ask, though, you know?”

“I know,” Troy said with a nod.

Eventually, although not soon enough for the members of Nightwish, King Ranulf stood to signal the end of the meal, allowing those who wished to depart for their own quarters. However, Queen Liesel turned to Floor and Troy, quietly but firmly requesting them to remain behind, as His Majesty wished to speak further with them as to how they’d come to be a part of the band. A few minutes later, His Majesty offered Floor his arm. Troy quickly offered his arm to Queen Liesel and followed King Ranulf and Floor to a smaller chamber where Minister of Diplomatic Relations and one of the Royal Wizards awaited them.

Correctly assuming that they’d be placed under an honesty spell, the two gave all the details they could recall, starting from the point Queen Ariveena decided to establish an embassy in Bordeaux with Floor as ambassador, that Queen Ariveena was also the one to suggest that Floor travel incognito with a minimal guard, and that she had personally selected the members of said guard as well as Floor’s maid.

Floor spoke of mounting her horse to start the day’s journey on the morning of the attack, only to be skewered by the sword of one of her guards – a wound which most certainly would have struck her heart if she hadn’t leaned forward to pat her mount’s neck at just the right moment. Troy described his mad scramble to mount his own horse and grab Floor’s reins to try to get her out of the melee, as she had fainted from the shock and blood loss. And then he told of the surprise attack on the assassins by their eastern companions.

“…probably only won because they caught the guards by surprise,” Troy said. “I understand that most easterners don’t carry personal arms as we do here in the west. But I was grateful all the same, they’d saved Her Royal Highness and myself and said we’d be welcome to join them for the rest of their trip to Crown City if we preferred not to travel on to Bordeaux alone. They had already treated our injuries as best as they knew how, so I decided we’d be safer going with them.”

Floor nodded. “Emppu said that during the skirmish, he spotted someone driving our baggage cart back towards Natexia, so I assume the maid must have been on it, and possibly the seventh member of our supposed guard. Anyway, when we camped and they started their musical rehearsal, I started singing along with the chorus of one of the songs as I picked up the words, just because I liked it, you know? Tuomas joked that if I wasn’t royal, he’d ask me to join the band, and it occurred to me that my sister wouldn’t likely think to look for me performing with a group of minstrels, so… I asked if I could join the band.”

King Ranulf and the Minister exchanged a glance. “I see,” His Majesty said thoughtfully. “Well, I agree that Queen Ariveena wouldn’t likely look for you performing with a group of minstrels, but how did you intend to reclaim your position?”

“I didn’t,” Floor said simply. “I… we… planned to take the train to Suomellen with the others and continue on as members of the band.” With a small shrug she added, “The trappings of royalty honestly never mattered that much to me, Ariveena never understood that, and I love singing besides. They all said they’d help us adjust to life in the east, and Tuomas said he would claim me as his sister. I figured I would write to my mother just before the train left, to let her know I wasn’t really dead and where she could look for me if she wanted to, but not until then so that there wouldn’t be time for Ariveena to send someone else after me.”

“And you willingly went along with this, Lord Troymer?” King Ranulf asked.

Troy nodded. “What else could I do, You Majesty?” he said. “I had to agree with Her Royal Highness as far as her plan to hide in plain sight as a minstrel with the others. If I chose to leave and someone recognized me as Princess Flooriel’s tutor when she’d gone missing, I’d most likely be hanged for her murder. Perhaps I could have gotten back to Dunbroch unscathed, but there isn’t really a place for me there either. Taking the train east seemed as good an option as any, and I admit, I’ve enjoyed taking part in the performances of the last couple of weeks. Unless something changes drastically in the immediate future, I still plan to go east and remain a part of the band.”

King Ranulf considered this. “I see your point about the danger of reappearing with Her Royal Highness missing,” he admitted, “and also that hiding in plain sight likely was your best option at the time. Well, you are free to make your own choice to go or stay, but Princess Flooriel is now under Our protection until such time as We hear back from Natexia. Unfortunately, We sent word there as soon as the healing mages confirmed her identity, thinking that Queen Ariveena would be pleased to learn her sister had escaped the reported bandit attack on the road, so We cannot close Our eyes and allow her to leave with you and the other three.”

Floor bowed her head with a sigh.

Queen Liesel decided the two had put up with enough for the evening. “Well, I don’t think we need to keep these two here any longer,” she said firmly. “And I’m sure they have plenty to discuss with their friends, including Markopunzel. Flooriel, there was one oddity that came up in your heritage trace; would you prefer to hear it now or would you rather wait until morning?”

“Now, please,” Floor said. “I might as well have all the shocks over with at once.”

Her Majesty nodded and drew the princess away from the men. Speaking quietly, she said, “Your trace listed your paternal heritage as ‘divine’ rather than as King Eric. Could that be a possible reason your sister seems to have such a grudge against you?”

Floor looked shaken. “I don’t know… Mother always said how lucky she was to have me, lucky that my father came to her the night before that voyage which cost him his life, because he’d originally told her he wasn’t going to since he had to get up so early to catch the tide. When he appeared, she just figured he’d changed his mind, and of course, I came of that encounter. Having heard the stories of the gods walking the world and seducing women who take their fancy, I suppose it’s possible that the man Mother believed was her husband, was actually a god in the guise of her husband. Everyone just assumed I was King Eric’s posthumous child, myself included. But Ariveena could have ordered a heritage trace on me without my knowledge – we both know that can be done,” she said, unable to resist the tiny dig at the Corona royals for having done just that. “She was always protective of her position as Heiress and couldn’t wait to be old enough to rule in her own name instead of having Mother as regent. But she seemed to really start resenting me after Mother brought Troy in as my tutor.”

Queen Liesel’s mouth twitched. “Yes, reports of your sister’s attempts at seducing your tutor reached us back then. The fact that Lord Troymer refused to take her up on the offers, when it could have led to him gaining a throne, speaks well of his character. And also indicates that he’s serious in being willing to give up his title in Dunbroch to remain with the band.”

“I would give up my position to remain with the band if I could,” Floor said softly. “So would Marko.”

The queen frowned at that. “Pure foolishness. You are both royal and have responsibilities to your families. King Ranulf and I are grateful that Markopunzel came seeking his heritage, lest we be forced to eventually leave the rule to a cadet branch of the family in young Mattias. Oh, he’ll remain Heir Presumptive to Markopunzel until such time as our grandson has a child of his own. But you know as well as I do that it’s always better for the crown to descend through the main line of the family.”

Floor just made a soft sound of assent, figuring that now was not the time to divulge her suspicion that Marko would never – voluntarily, at least – sire a child.

“Anyway,” Queen Liesel said, changing the subject once again, “your things will have been taken to a suite near the solar, as now that you are known, it wouldn’t be seemly to leave you in the same guest rooms as the men. You may visit with them in public rooms, of course, as they are your friends, but to keep your reputation as untarnished as possible, you’ll need to be where there is no possibility of one of them finding his way into your rooms.”

“I understand,” Floor said with a sigh. “Is someone available to bring me there?”

Queen Liesel smiled. “I’ll bring you there myself,” she said kindly. “Gentlemen, Princess Flooriel and I bid you a pleasant evening.” The two women curtseyed and then the queen led Floor out.

“Let me guess, new rooms away from the rest of us, to try to save her reputation?” Troy half asked, half stated.

“Of course,” King Ranulf said. “It’s only proper. You go ahead and join your friends, Lord Troymer. We’ve decided to allow our grandson to remain housed with the rest of you until it’s time for your departure. Also, I would look upon it as a favor if you would give him a few lessons in the etiquette that will be expected of him, and perhaps also some dance lessons if Her Royal Highness is willing to partner him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Troy said, bowing and backing away before exiting the room and making his way back to the guest quarters where the band was housed.

He found Kai and Emppu in their rehearsal chamber. Tuomas and Marko were nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Floor?” Kai asked.

“Queen Liesel arranged for new quarters for her,” Troy said. “She’s trying to save Floor’s reputation, by putting her in the same wing as her ladies in waiting, so that there’s no chance of any midnight visits either to or from her room by any of us. Mind, I don’t think the queen truly believes we would actually do that, but leaving Floor unchaperoned and in rooms accessible to the five of us is just inviting the most vicious of gossips to start spreading rumors.”

Kai sighed but nodded. “She’s okay, though? Not panicking over being caught?”

Troy shrugged a little. “She wasn’t visibly panicking,” he said. “although Queen Liesel did tell her something that seemed to startle her. I don’t know what, they moved a ways off before the queen told Floor whatever it was. Then they headed off to Floor’s new rooms and the king asked me to give Marko the quick and dirty version of the stuff I’ve spent the last few years teaching to Floor before he dismissed me. He also said Marko could stay down here with us until we leave for the train, at which time they’ll move him into a suite more befitting his status.”

“I might as well try to get some sleep, then,” Kai said. “G’night, you two.” He gave Troy and Emppu a tired smile and headed for his room.

Once Kai was gone, Emppu looked up at Troy with hopeful eyes. “Did I understand you when you said, ‘until we leave’?” he asked.

“Yes,” Troy said, “I’m still going to Suomellen with you. Assuming you still want me to, of course.”

Emppu reached for Troy’s hand with a smile but stopped himself before pulling the taller man close. “Damn straight I want you to,” he said. “I’ll show you just how much, too, but not out here where anyone might walk in. Come on.” He hopped to his feet and tugged Troy down the hall to his own room instead. As soon as he latched the door behind them, he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and stretched up to kiss him softly. “I almost feel guilty for being so happy right now, knowing that Tuomas and Marko along with Kai and Floor are about to be separated,” he murmured.

Troy closed his eyes, relaxing in the comfort of Emppu’s embrace. “I know what you mean,” he said softly. “I wish there was something we could do to help them. I don’t know how, though. Even if Tuomas stayed here, it’s unlikely Marko would be allowed to give him a place in his retinue. He’s common and a foreigner and it’s a guarantee that every noble family in Corona with a son of an appropriate age will be fighting to get their sons a position with the Heir Apparent. And Floor probably won’t be here much longer than we will, as Queen Ariveena is sure to arrange a match for her as quickly as possible.”

“And even if something could be tweaked to let them remain in contact, if not actually together, the band gets broken up,” Emppu sighed. “Gods, this sucks.”

“It does,” Troy agreed.

Concerned for their friends, the pair simply cuddled together quietly until sleep overtook them.

A couple rooms down the hall, Marko had Tuomas wrapped up in his arms and hair. “Gods, why didn’t I push to skip out on the shows as soon as I figured out who my grandparents probably were?” the bassist berated himself. “I was so stupid!”

Tuomas tried to project a sense of calm to his lover, although given his own emotional state, he didn’t know how successful he was. “It wasn’t just you, love,” he whispered. “We all agreed that staying was the better idea. You had no reason to think anyone at the Archives was checking your research.”

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this, though,” Marko sighed. “All through the meal, the king talked about all the things I’ll need to learn about governance and finance and even the history of the western kingdoms so I’ll know which ones are likely to be good allies in the future. Etiquette. Dancing. And he said he wants me to choose a bride within the next six months, preferably sooner, and for me to marry within a year! So that I can sire a few children and further insure the succession, of course.”

“Oh, baby…” Tuomas tightened his arms around Marko, twining his fingers in that luxuriant mane of hair. “I wish I could think of something to help.”

Marko gave a wry smile. “The worst part is, I’ve never… I don’t know if I can sire a child,” he admitted. “I not only have never been with a woman, but I’ve also never wanted to be. Not even out of curiosity. And I don’t think that telling that to the king will do any good. I noticed that he and the queen both seem good at only hearing what they want to hear.”

“I noticed that as well,” Tuomas said dryly. “It must come of being royal and hardly ever being told no.” He kissed Marko softly, putting all the love he had for the bassist into that kiss. “I expect tomorrow is going to end up worse than today,” he said. “Come on, love, let’s get some sleep. Whatever happens will only be worse if you’re exhausted as well as stressed.”

“Stay with me?” Marko pleaded.

“Of course,” Tuomas said. “But you need to let go for a few minutes. I don’t think either of us wants to sleep in our clothes, especially since we’ve still got our shoes on.” Pleased at getting a faint smile out of his lover at that, he kicked off his shoes and undressed quickly as soon as Marko’s hair released him from its coils.

Marko stripped down as well, and the two men cuddled close as they slid into bed. “I know this sounds stupid,” he said, “but I wish Dad was here to sing me to sleep like he did when Zach and I were little.” He laughed softly. “It was always Dad who sang to us. Mom couldn’t carry a tune if it had handles.”

Tuomas caressed his cheek and started singing in a soft baritone, his voice unpolished but pleasant and soothing, “Sweet little words made for silence, not talk…” He smiled as he sang, seeing Marko’s eyes close and his breath even out as he relaxed into slumber. “I love you so very much,” he whispered, closing his own eyes and letting himself drift off as well.


	14. Chapter 14

Marko, Tuomas, and Troy all woke early, giving Tuomas and Troy the chance to slip into their own rooms before any servants came around. Kai, just emerging from his room as the same time as a servant arrived with coffee, grinned to see Emppu, his eyes mostly closed and his hair sticking out in all directions, grab two cups from the servant and drain them both so quickly that the servant barely had time to move a dozen steps before he finished drinking.

The little blond managed to get his eyes all the way open after downing both cups of coffee, peering around hopefully for a second round. Kai chuckled and handed Emppu the cup he’d accepted but had yet to drink from. “There you go, dude.”

“Thanks,” Emppu mumbled as he slurped from the cup. “Mornings suck.”

“At least here someone brings the coffee to you, instead of you going in search of the coffee,” Kai said lightly. “And breakfast is bound to be better than the granola bars we eat on the road.”

Emppu nodded. “Yeah. Mm. Wonder ‘f there’s pancakes here?”

Kai laughed again. “What is up with you and pancakes? I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so crazy for them as you are.”

Looking more alert as the coffee started to take effect, the guitarist laughed as well. “Mom is… not the best cook,” he said. “Oh, her food won’t make you sick or anything like that, she’s not quite the type who could burn water, but for the most part, her food is just… there, you know? The only thing she can make really well is pancakes. She does a whole variety of flavors, too, stuff like cinnamon apple or banana. So anyway, with her career, she never really had time to cook much when I was younger, especially during racing season, so Mom making pancakes for breakfast was always a really special treat for me, growing up.” He shrugged a bit and added, “I do love pancakes, but… yeah, I know it sounds silly and superstitious and anything else you want to call it, but… pancakes for breakfast means something good will come of the day.”

“Huh… kind of like that ball player a few years back that always had to wear purple socks to games for luck?” Kai asked. “I suppose I can think of worse things to believe. Besides, at least your belief is perfectly true. Even if nothing else especially good happens, having the pancakes already is something good that came of the day.”

The servant, making his way back after delivering coffee to the rooms occupied by Marko, Tuomas, and Troy, paused to say, “Unfortunately, sir, pancakes are not on this morning’s menu. However, I believe they are supposed to be served tomorrow. Today’s menu includes breakfast pudding with fruit, farmer’s omelets, toast, pastries, and yogurt.”

“Oh… thanks,” Emppu said, looking a little startled at the man’s recitation. After the servant vanished down the hallway once again, he shook his head a little. “That was weird.”

“Not really,” Troy said from his own doorway, where he’d observed the encounter. “Servants, especially in noble or royal households, have to be able to answer nearly any question that might come from a resident or guest. And if the question is outside of their duties, they should know who to ask to get that question answered. That man is obviously assigned to the kitchens, therefore he could tell you what’s on the menu for today’s breakfast.”

Emppu rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. “I’ll rephrase… that was weird for those of us who aren’t used to servants in general. Hells, I’ve seen servers in bars who couldn’t rattle off the menu like that, and the bar menus don’t change on a daily basis.”

Troy nodded. “All right, I hadn’t thought about the fact that you’re not used to servants all over the place,” he said. “I can see where what’s normal to me and Floor could seem odd to you.”

Kai nodded and asked, “Do we have any particular plans for today, aside from meals, that is?”

Marko emerged from his room in time to hear Kai’s question. “I’d like to practice for a bit,” he said softly. “Be normal for a little while.”

“I’m good with that,” Kai said, “as long as everyone else is, too.”

“We can practice for a while, but I’ve been asked to give you some tutoring, Marko, including in dance,” Troy said ruefully. “His Majesty hopes Floor might be willing to partner you for the dance lessons.”

Marko just groaned and covered his eyes. “Why me?”

“It could be worse, bro,” Emppu said with a wicked grin. “Can you imagine me trying to dance with Floor? As tall as she is, my face would be just about on level with her boobs. At least you’re tall enough that you won’t have trouble keeping your eyes on her face without giving yourself a crick in the neck!”

They all laughed at that, even Marko. “True enough,” he said. “We probably better get ourselves ready for the day before someone comes back with breakfast. I’ve already been told we’re expected in the Great Hall for lunch at noon.”

They separated once more to comb their hair and otherwise finish getting ready for the day and then gathered in the room allotted for their rehearsals, setting up their gear as they waited for the food to arrive. Tuomas stayed in the doorway to flag down the servant assigned to bring their breakfasts. The servant seemed startled that the five of them were not only awake but were out of bed and dressed, but he cheerfully delivered their breakfast trays to the rehearsal room. Troy mentioned to the others that in his experience, the vast majority of the aristocracy tended to lounge in bed until late in the mornings and that most of them in fact ate breakfast in bed.

Emppu pouted at that. “You mean I didn’t have to actually get out of bed to get that coffee and you didn’t tell me ahead of time?”

The servant having gone after dropping off their trays, Troy risked giving Emppu a quick kiss of apology. “I’ll make it up to you later,” he promised.

Floor, wearing a more casual version of her Court presentation gown, joined them about half an hour after they finished eating. “I think I scandalized the maid they assigned me,” she said with a laugh. “I got out of bed and dressed myself before the coffee arrived. She came in to wake me and I was ready for the day without her help. Are we still practicing just in case Marko and I can find ways out of the trap we’re in?”

“Yes, we are,” Tuomas said. “Are you being treated well?”

“Like a princess,” she joked in return.

“Will you be Marko’s dance partner for a few songs later on?” Troy asked. “His Majesty suggested that he’ll need those lessons fairly quickly.

“Sure, as long as it’s okay with Marko,” she said.

“If I can’t avoid learning the formal dances, I’d rather have you as my partner than some stranger,” Marko said. “At least I know you won’t laugh at my mistakes.”

Floor shook her head. “Of course I won’t. No more than you laughed at me when you were teaching me how to pack up the tents,” she said. “But for now, let’s get some band rehearsal in.”

Tuomas smiled. “7 Days to the Wolves? I think Troy’s bouzouki will sound great in the intro.”

“Let’s do it,” Emppu said.

Tuomas had Troy play the intro first, then he went over the vocal melody with Floor before running through the song together. By the time they had to break in order to attend lunch in the Great Hall, they’d gone through the song in its entirety three times and while they weren’t completely satisfied yet, they all liked how it had started to sound.

They entered the Great Hall together, smiling and discussing the music, only to fall into silence when the High Steward directed Marko and Floor to the High Table while the other four were shown to places towards the back of the room. Troy explained the significance to his companions.

“They’re trying to point out that as ‘common minstrels’ we really don’t have enough rank to associate with Marko and Floor,” he said. “Yes, we were ‘honored’ with seats at the High Table last night, but they probably considered that a just reward for bringing Marko to their attention, you know? Let the peasants sit with the elite and enjoy a fancy meal, but make sure they still know their proper place afterwards.”

“Aren’t you the son of a princess, though?” Emppu asked.

“I am, but I don’t count as a prince because my mother was only fourth in line for the throne when I was born. Two of her three brothers have children of their own now, which means she’s been bumped down to seventh or eighth in line by now. As her son, I’m noble, but far enough down in the line of succession that I realistically won’t have a chance at inheriting the crown,” Troy said. “That, and I told His Majesty last night that I intend going to Suomellen with you all, which means I’ve renounced any claim to nobility and thrown in with you, making me your equal in his eyes.”

Emppu shook his head. “Oh, for the love of…”

“Not here and not now, Emppu,” Tuomas said, speaking far more sharply than usual. “Maybe His Majesty does feel a little badly that he made us miss the train with his summons, but I’m willing to bet he’s only letting us stay because he thinks Troy can give Marko a quick overview of what’s expected of him as Heir Apparent – and that Marko will be more inclined to learn the lessons coming from a friend than from a stranger. Don’t do or say anything that might get our status as guests revoked.”

“Oh… yeah, sorry,” Emppu said with a sigh. “I’m not used to thinking like that.”

“Neither am I,” Tuomas told his oldest friend. “But what Troy said makes sense, unfortunately.”

“Entirely too much sense,” Kai muttered as he stabbed at a piece of sausage.

Trying to change the subject, at least slightly, Tuomas asked, “So what are we doing after lunch?”

“Marko’s first dance and etiquette lesson,” Troy said. “Are you willing to play the local dance tunes for it? We can get the sheet music with no problem. Otherwise, you three will be on your own while Floor, Marko, and I end up in a ballroom somewhere with one of the palace minstrels playing for us.”

“I’d rather hang out with the dance lesson than sit around my room,” Tuomas said. “Will there be other girls there as well? I mean, you’d need to demonstrate the steps for Marko, and I don’t think Floor wants to do all the dances twice.”

Troy shrugged. “I didn’t think to ask. There probably ought to be, though, at least one other for today, so that I’ll have a demonstration partner.” He grinned a bit, adding, “Actually, if you’re all willing, I’ll see about getting four other girls to participate in a few days, once Marko’s gotten past the worst of the awkwardness. Some of the dances are done in sets with other couples, and some even involve exchanging partners in the middle of the dance. We can request a palace minstrel for the music that day and you all can have a dance lesson.” Lowering his voice, he said, “And yes, Kai, I’ll make sure you get a chance to dance with Floor somewhere in there.”

Now Tuomas skewered his food with a little more force than necessary. “I just wish … well, as Mom would say, if wishes were fishes, we’d all cast nets. Yeah, I’m willing.”

Emppu chuckled. “I can’t wait to see the face of the girl who ends up partnered with me. I hope you managed to scare up at least one short one, when you go looking, Troy.”

“I will,” Troy said with a grin, “but remember that you’ll be switching partners at some point. Maybe I’ll also look for someone to match Floor’s height, just to increase the chances you’ll have to dance with someone that tall. It might be funny to watch.”

Seeing Tuomas and Kai grinning, presumably at the mental image of some extra-tall Lady of the Court partnering him for a dance, the little guitarist satisfied himself with blowing a raspberry at Troy instead of flipping him off. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m sure it will be. Jerk,” he said. But he grinned as well.

Once the meal ended, Troy approached the High Steward to ask about sheet music for the dances Marko would need to learn, as well as to ask if the man knew of a lady who might be willing to accompany Floor to Marko’s dance lessons so that he, as dance instructor, would have a partner for demonstrations. The High Steward considered for a few moments before having Troy follow him to a table full of women.

“Excuse me, M’Ladies, but Lord Troymer is seeking assistance and wonders if one of you might be willing to help? His Majesty has requested that Lord Troymer instruct Prince Markopunzel in ballroom dancing of the sort common here in Corona. While Princess Flooriel has already agreed to help, Lord Troymer needs a dance partner as well so that he can demonstrate the steps to His Royal Highness.”

Several of the women looked interested. “Are you sure you only need one of us?” one asked.

Troy considered. “Well… I was going to have our friends play for us, but I suppose I can ask one of the palace minstrels to play instead and teach all of the men the dances. One never knows when a random bit of knowledge will prove helpful, after all. If four of you are willing to help out, that would be most kind,” he said. With a grin, he added, “If you can decide amongst yourselves, I would be most appreciative. Being new here, I have no wish to accidentally insult someone in any way. My only request is that at least one of the chosen four is short. One of the men only comes up to here on me.” He indicated his nose.

The ladies all giggled and one stood. “I trust I’m short enough?” she asked, moving close enough to Troy that he could see she barely reached his chin.

“Perfect,” he said with a smile. “So, three more volunteers and then I can figure out exactly where this lesson will take place.”

The remaining five women conferred and one asked, “Will there be lessons on other days as well as today?”

“Oh, I’m sure there will be, unless His Majesty indicates otherwise,” Troy said. “As far as I know, the dance lessons will take place daily until those of us who will be taking the train east have to depart.”

“May we trade off, then?” the seated spokeswoman asked. “Since it turns out we won’t actually get to see a Nightwish performance, we all would at least like to meet everyone.” She gave a wistful sigh, adding, “My maid went to one of the shows at the Sated Tyger since it happened on her leave-day, and she said it was amazing.”

Troy smiled. “I’m glad she enjoyed it,” he said, “and I see no problem with you alternating who comes to the lessons on which days.”

“Oh, good,” she smiled. They conferred once again, and she and two others stood. “Marta, Louisa, Gisela, and I will be your partners today,” she said, gesturing to the short young woman, one with her dark hair in a crown braid, and a blond with her hair in a loose bun in turn. “Oh, and I’m Hildegaard. Gretel and Mina will replace me and Louisa tomorrow. Where will the lessons take place?”

“Today, at least, in the room His Majesty has kindly allowed us to use for our own musical practice,” Troy said.

The High Steward, who’d remained silent as Troy talked with the ladies, spoke up. “I’ll send one of the minstrels to you there, Lord Troymer, if you’re willing to escort the ladies?”

Troy nodded. “If you would, please, thank you,” he said. “His Royal Highness knows to meet us there already, as does Princess Flooriel.” He offered Hildegaard his arm. “Shall we be off, then, and surprise several men who don’t yet know they’re getting a dance lesson today?”

All six of the young women giggled as Hildegaard took Troy’s offered arm with an exaggerated curtsey. “Lead on, good sir,” she said, grinning.

With the other three trooping along behind, Troy led Hildegaard through the palace to the rehearsal room. Kai, Tuomas, and Emppu were already there, with Kai working on the drum part of a song he didn’t recognize. When they paused, Troy said, “Gentlemen, there’s been a slight change of plan. You’re all going to learn ballroom dancing starting today.”

“I thought we were going to play for Marko and Floor?” Tuomas asked. At the looks of shock from the young women with Troy, he amended, “Sorry, Prince Markopunzel and Princess Flooriel. They’ve been bandmates for long enough that it’s hard getting used to thinking of them as royalty and speaking of them formally.”

Troy shrugged a bit. “Well, I know that was the original plan, but I needed a partner as well, so that I could demonstrate the steps. I asked for one volunteer and ended up with six – and since plenty of the dances do require multiple couples, I decided I might as well make it a group lesson. The ladies plan to switch off, with four of them attending each lesson.”

“We volunteered because we all wanted to hear Nightwish,” dark-haired Louisa said frankly. “You obviously won’t be playing, but at least this way we get to meet you all,” she added with a grin.

Tuomas laughed. “Well, you’re honest. No promises, but maybe if Their Royal Highnesses are willing, we can do a song or two at the end of the dance lesson. I’m Tuomas, by the way, that’s Kai behind the drum kit, and Emppu is the one with the guitar.”

Hildegaard made the introductions, adding, “We are all noblemen’s daughters, so if you speak with us outside of the dance lessons, we’re Lady Hildegaard, Lady Marta, and so on. But in here, at least, I would feel awfully silly insisting on being addressed formally while you’re on familiar terms with Princess Flooriel as well as His Royal Highness.”

Floor and Marko showed up just then, along with an elderly man carrying a rebec. “I’m told we’re all getting a lesson today, and not just me?” Marko said.

“Correct,” Troy replied before making the introductions.

The elderly minstrel, who introduced himself as Wilhelm, found himself a seat after peering in confusion at the keyboards. He checked the tuning on his rebec and looked at Troy. “Lord Troymer, what would you like me to play to start?”

“I think a simple waltz to begin,” Troy said. “That’s easy enough to learn, and fairly ubiquitous as well, so it will serve His Royal Highness no matter where he might need to go.” He looked at the men and the ladies. “If everyone would please choose a partner?”

As planned, Floor paired herself with Marko, while Hildegaard kept her grip on Troy’s arm. Kai stood up and moved out from behind his drums, causing the petite Marta to gaze from Tuomas to him and then to Emppu.

Grinning, Marta offered her hand to Emppu. “I think I’m here especially for you,” she said.

Emppu grinned back and pretended to wipe his forehead in relief. “Whew!” he said. “Can you just picture me trying to waltz with Floor?”

All of the ladies – Floor included – laughed at that, while the minstrel looked scandalized at the informality. Louisa looked at Tuomas and offered him her hand since she was standing near him, leaving Gisela to partner with Kai.

At a nod from Troy, the minstrel started playing. Troy led Hildegaard around the room, showing the basic waltz steps, then had the others join in. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the drummer’s sense of rhythm, Kai picked up the pattern of the waltz the fastest, while Marko seemed stiff and a little less than comfortable and Emppu kept making faces at the others over Marta’s shoulder.

When Troy called a break, satisfied that Marko had picked up the waltz well enough to get by, the minstrel spoke up a little hesitantly. “If I might make a suggestion, Lord Troymer?” he asked.

“Of course,” Troy said, giving the man a smile and a nod.

“His Majesty greatly favors the minuet, and every ball held in the Palace opens with one,” the minstrel informed them. “His Royal Highness will most certainly be expected to know it.”

Troy nodded. “Well, in that case, I believe that should be our second dance of this afternoon’s lesson,” he said. “Shall we?”

The minstrel nodded and started playing while Troy and Hildegaard demonstrated. Then the others attempted to follow. It took them all several tries before Troy declared them passably competent. “All right, I think we’ll stop here for the day, so that no one starts confusing the steps of the various dances,” he said. “Master Wilhelm, will you be playing for us again tomorrow?”

The minstrel nodded, “Yes, Lord Troymer, if you’ll have me. I’ll be honest in saying I’m mainly kept on due to Her Majesty’s favor, but at my age, I spend far more time overseeing music lessons for young nobles whose parents wish them to have a smattering of musical knowledge, than I do actually playing for an appreciative audience.” With a touch of humor, he added, “Or at least an audience that can appreciate my talent, even if they don’t appreciate the reason they’re hearing it.”

Kai laughed at that. “Well, Master Wilhelm, your talent is most appreciated. Thank you for playing for us.” The others added their thanks as well before the elderly man departed.

Tuomas looked at Floor and Marko. “Are you two willing to perform a couple of songs, to thank the ladies for participating in the dance lesson?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Floor said. “Even if we have to stay behind, maybe we can at least get the local music out of the rut its been in for the last however many decades.”

Marko simply picked up his bass and asked, “What are we playing?”

“How about Nemo and I Want My Tears Back?” Emppu suggested. “And maybe also The Islander. I think those three songs give all of us a chance to show what we can do.” He smiled at the four young women who had partnered them for the lessons, adding, “Go ahead and grab chairs, most of us need to be standing in order to perform but I’m sure we stepped on your toes enough that you’d rather be off your feet for a bit.”

They giggled but didn’t confirm or deny the veracity of his last statement. They did, however, pull chairs into the middle of the room and sat down.

Kai settled down behind his kit and Troy took his seat as well. Tuomas led off with the opening notes of Nemo and the rest of the band jumped in. Floor smiled as she sang, noticing the looks of fascination on the faces of all four of the young women.

When the impromptu mini show ended, the foursome applauded. “Oh, that was amazing! How do your instruments even work? Is your music popular back east? Can anyone learn this music, women as well as men? I would love to be able to sing or play an instrument like you!” The questions and comments, from all four of the young women, came at them too rapid-fire to answer at first.

“Thank you,” Tuomas said once they all quieted down again. “If you mean, are the songs we just played popular back east, the answer is no, because we haven’t played as a band anywhere back east. Emppu and I are foster brothers, but we only met Marko on the train west and then we met Kai at the hostel at the terminal. We started the band with just the four of us and played a few shows in Bordeaux, then we met Troy and Floor when we saved them from an attack and they ended up asking to join the band as well. As skilled as they both are, we weren’t foolish enough to say no.”

“As to how the instruments work,” Emppu said, “in the east, we use electricity as a power source, but because we were coming west, we had our gear engraved with runes to allow them to pull power from the magic all around. And those things are amplifiers, which make the music loud enough for people to hear. I don’t think any of us could give you a more detailed explanation; I mean, I can play guitar well, but I have no idea exactly how the amps work. I just never cared how they worked, as long as they did, you know?”

“But those… partial pianos?” Gisela asked, waving towards the keyboards. “How do they work without the rest of the piano? And how do they make so many different sounds?”

Tuomas chuckled. “They’re called keyboards, and while they can be made to sound like pianos, among other things, they’re not pianos at all. Again, they’re powered electronically, or in the case of mine here, by runes pulling power from the ambient magic. The closest description I can think of that you might understand is that each of them contains something like a mimicking spell, that lets them sound like whatever I want them to sound like. There’s also something like a spell that plays back specific pieces of music, um, like a music box only it plays back whatever was used in the original.” He made some adjustments to the top keyboard and held down a single key, producing the sound of a cello accompanied by a choir singing staccato open notes. On the lower keyboard, he played an overlaying melody that sounded like violins. Then he turned to his left and played a different set of notes on the single keyboard there, notes which sounded almost bell-like.

Gisela looked enthralled. “I wonder if I can convince my parents to let me go east so I can learn to play those,” she mused. “They take such pride in my skills at the piano, after all.”

Louisa laughed. “You know that is never going to happen, Gisela. Your reputation would be ruined. No one would believe you went east for any reason besides a baby on the way.”

“I can still ask,” Gisela said with a sigh. “But you’re right, they’d never let me go for fear of what the gossip would say.”

“Anyone can learn the music, though,” Marko told them. “Men, women… I played in a band in Kuipetto for a few years and Janne, one of my bandmates, managed to teach his _dog_ to bark in tune with one of the songs we played.” He grinned at the memory. “We had a show at a neighborhood celebration – one of the locals had gotten elected to a fairly high government position – and so there was a big outdoor party held in his honor, with dancing at night, and we played since we were also locals. Anyway, it being an outdoor event, plenty of people brought their dogs along. Janne kept his mutt up on the stage with us, and then we did this one song, rather aptly titled Who Let the Dogs Out. The chorus goes, ‘Who let the dogs out? Who? Who? Who? Who?’ and Janne’s dog barked – on key no less – over each of the ‘who’ single words. So it ended up, ‘Who let the dogs out? Woof! Woof! Woof Woof!’ I always hated singing that song, but I have to admit, that mutt turned it into the hit of the party.”

Everyone laughed so hard that they ended up gasping for air. Marta, holding her side, squeaked out, “Now I have to teach my dog to sing too!” before dissolving into giggles once more.

Eventually they calmed down once more and took note of the time. Hildegaard gasped. “Oh no! I’m supposed to be fitted for my dress for my brother’s wedding in ten minutes, and I have to wash up first after all that dancing! I have to run! Thank you for the songs!” She raced out of the room.

Marta, Gisela, and Louisa followed a little more sedately, after thanking the group for performing for them and saying that they looked forward to the next dance lesson.

Floor peeked into the hallway after they left, and seeing no one around, darted back into the room and behind the drum kit to drop into Kai’s lap. “I wish I could have danced with you,” she murmured.

He kissed her softly. “I wish I could have danced with you, too,” he said. “For that matter, I wish we’d known each other longer. If we had, I would have asked you to marry me, then you would have been safe from your sister.”

“I wish you’d asked me anyway,” Floor said softly.

Tuomas and Marko exchanged a glance and sad smiles, then started playing the waltz they’d just learned. After a moment, Troy and Emppu grabbed their instruments and joined in. Kai lifted Floor up and started dancing.

When the song ended, Floor hugged the other four. “Thanks, guys,” she whispered, blinking back tears. She wrapped her arms around Kai once more, kissing him deeply, then broke away and fled the room.

Kai watched her leave and sighed. “I can’t marry her even though I want to,” he said, “but maybe you should, Marko. At least she’d be safe with you, much more than if her sister arranges a marriage for her. You’ll have to marry eventually, even I know that, and you two get along. You’ll probably be better off with her than with some stranger your grandparents pick out.”

Marko sighed as well. “I’ll think about it,” he promised. “I won’t… I need to talk to her first. I understand what you’re saying, and you’re not wrong, but… well, I want to make sure she’ll be okay with what I can offer.” He tried to smile, but it came out more of a grimace. “I mean, she might just have it in mind to marry her sister’s choice and then make sure she becomes a widow by the time the honeymoon is over, so she can head east and find you again. If that’s her plan, I won’t stand in her way.”

“We should probably think about getting cleaned up,” Troy said quietly. “There’s only about an hour before dinner.”

“Yeah,” Kai said, and he walked out of the room.

Emppu cased his guitar and waited for Troy to pack his instruments. The two headed out together.

Marko set his bass in its case and wrapped his arms around Tuomas. “Kai’s probably right,” he said, his voice muffled against his lover’s shoulder. “Floor and I are friends. She’d be safe with me. If I have to marry, better her than some stranger. But it hurts.”

“I know, beloved. Believe me, I know.” Tuomas sighed and pressed a kiss to Marko’s temple. “I hate this. But I am with Kai on one thing… if I can’t be with you, I would rather see you with a friend than with a stranger who will resent you for not fulfilling her expectations.”

“Yeah.” Marko didn’t move for a long moment. “I guess we better go get ready too,” he finally said. “Best to keep His Majesty happy for the time being. I’m pretty sure the guards have orders not to let me leave the Palace, even if he is letting me spend most of my time with you guys until you have to leave. I don’t know if you noticed, but the rooms in this whole corridor only overlook courtyards. Even if I got out my window, I won’t be out of the Palace.”

“Is he scared you’ll run for it, or does he hope you’ll try so he’ll have an excuse to keep you on a shorter leash?” Tuomas asked as they reluctantly pulled apart.

Marko shrugged. “Probably the second,” he said. “King Ranulf wants to mold me into his idea of a proper Heir Apparent, and to hells with my opinions. Queen Liesel seems to actually want me to be happy here, although she seems convinced that I just need a bit of time to settle in and I’ll be thrilled to become the perfect Crown Prince for them. I guess if you’ve been brought up royal, it’s hard to see the advantages of being a common man.”

Tuomas nodded as they walked down the hall to their respective rooms. “I can kind of understand that,” he said. “And with the way I’ve noticed women are kind of expected to be helpless little ornaments around here, that would make it even harder for her to see those advantages. She’d only see that she’d have to do her own cooking and cleaning instead of having servants, and she probably can’t imagine going shopping without being surrounded by some kind of security guards.” He paused when he reached his door. “I expect we’ll be at the back of the Great Hall again. See you here after dinner?”

“If I can,” Marko said. “Her Majesty did say something about wanting to drag me off and hear all about Mom’s life in Kuipetto, so I might not be able to come back here right away.”

“Well, I’ll just settle in with a book while waiting for you,” Tuomas said. “I did bring a few, but we’ve been so busy with the band I haven’t bothered pulling them out since we got off the train.”

Marko peered down the hall and risked a quick peck on his lover’s lips. “I’ll be here as soon as I can,” he said before moving on to his own room.


	15. Chapter 15

Dinner proceeded as they expected, with Marko and Floor at the High Table while the others were near the back of the Great Hall. As he’d expected, Queen Liesel insisted that Marko accompany her and Floor to the solar after the meal, so that he could tell her about his mother’s life.

He honestly didn’t know too much about her younger years, just that she’d been raised in a tower house somewhere in the middle of nowhere and wasn’t permitted to leave the tower or its courtyard until the day she was turned out for being pregnant with him. From the notes Kimmo had written for him, he learned that the man, or god, who seduced Rapunzel had gotten into the tower, which is why she’d trusted him – before then, she’d only seen other people at a distance as her foster-mother liked to keep to herself, so because he turned up within the tower, she mistakenly assumed her foster-mother knew him, trusted him, and granted him access. As it turned out, the woman had not. Rapunzel also hadn’t been told what activities could lead to pregnancy, so she was easily seduced simply for not knowing the possible consequences.

He spoke more readily of her time in Kuipetto, of her responding to his widowed stepfather’s advert for a live-in nanny for his young son, and of how they married for practical reasons but grew to love one another. Of how Rapunzel’s magic was connected to her hair even as his was, and sadly, of how that led to her death when she was struck by a vehicle and her rescuers had to cut off her hair – which cut her off from accessing her healing magic – to free her from the wreckage. Of how she’d always wondered about her past, once she knew her foster-mother wasn’t her actual mother, and how she asked him before she died to seek out her heritage.

“Well, I’m certainly glad you heeded her final wishes, Markopunzel,” Queen Liesel said. “Although I can hardly imagine, a royal princess working as a nursemaid.”

“Don’t forget, Your Majesty, she didn’t know she was royalty,” Marko reminded his grandmother. “She was quite sheltered, growing up, but as far as she knew, she was most probably of the merchant class. Her foster-mother, as I understand it, was too well-off to be from simple farm-folk, but never made any claim to being gentry, much less nobility. As far as Mom knew, she was an orphan, and assumed that she was placed with someone of her own class, to be raised in a manner befitting her status.”

The queen started to say something, paused, then nodded. “No, you’re right,” she said. “If my daughter didn’t know she was royal, she wouldn’t have seen a problem in taking a servant’s position, especially with a coming child of her own to consider. At least she and your stepfather came to love each other. I trust he treated you well?”

Marko smiled. “Yes, Dad’s always loved me like his own. I don’t ever recall feeling as though he treated me any differently than he did Zach – his son with his late wife – and I don’t think I could have asked for a better father in my life. He takes pride in his work, he values education, and he encouraged me and Zach to take up music as well. He’s the one who always sang us to sleep when we were little – Mom’s talents lay in drawing and painting rather than music – and he’s the one who saw to it that we had the chance to learn to play whatever instruments we wished.”

“And you said something about your magic being connected to your hair?” Queen Liesel asked. “How does that work?”

“I don’t know how it works, it just does,” Marko said with a shrug. “My magic isn’t healing magic, though, it’s more defensive magic. I can use my hair to grab things, or people. In the case of people, I can capture and immobilize them if I want.” He grinned a bit, adding, “It came in very handy once I joined Zach’s band and we started playing the bars around Kuipetto. If anyone tried to steal our tips, or if a bar brawl happened, I had a secret weapon in the form of my hair.”

The queen looked intrigued. “Can you show me?” she asked.

Marko looked around the solar and spotted a basket containing skeins of brightly colored threads and a small round frame holding what looked to be an incomplete embroidery project. A moment later, the left fork of his beard snaked out and wrapped around the handle of the basket, dragging it over to the queen. Once he’d set it at her feet, his beard uncurled from the handle and went back to its usual position. “I hope that’s your basket,” he said with a grin, “otherwise someone is going to be convinced she’s going crazy when her basket isn’t where she left it.”

Floor, silent until this point, laughed. “It’s Lady Hulda’s basket, but I’ll put it back where you got it from, if you want. Or just leave it over here and let her go crazy looking for it.”

Marko noted a slightly bitter tone in her voice but didn’t comment on it. “I don’t think I can demonstrate my capture ability here, though. I doubt either of you would appreciate being wrapped up and possibly knocked down in the process,” he told his grandmother.

“Oh, well, that’s easily solved,” she said. Turning to Floor, she requested, “Would you be so kind as to ask one of my bodyguards to come into the solar, please? Markopunzel can demonstrate on him.”

Floor nodded and fetched the guard, who entered, bowed, and snapped a salute to the queen and Marko. “Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, what can I do for you?”

Queen Liesel smiled. “His Royal Highness was just telling me about his rather unique defensive magic, and I wished a demonstration. However, he doesn’t want to risk accidentally hurting either myself or Princess Flooriel by demonstrating on one of us. Will you be so kind as to aid in the demonstration?”

“If it helps, the worst possible outcome is a few bruises,” Marko put in. “At worst, you’ll fall over and be unable to catch yourself in any way.”

The guard nodded. “Very well. What do you need me to do?”

“Pretend you’re coming at the ladies with intent to harm them,” Marko requested. “Perhaps start from a little way off, as if you were a footpad who spotted a likely target.”

The guard moved away, then pretended to come at Floor. Marko headbanged at him, his hair whipping out and seeming to grow longer as it wrapped him securely in its coils. The entangled guard wobbled and fell to his knees. “Ow. That’s… different, Your Royal Highness. And quite effective,” he said.

Marko gave another jerk of his head, his hair releasing the man and once again hanging down his back to his knees. “It is effective,” he said, “and thank you for allowing the demonstration.”

The guard got back to his feet and bowed once more. “I live to serve, Your Royal Highness,” he said. “Is there anything else you need?”

The queen shook her head. “No, that will be all, thank you,” she said. “You may return to your post. I believe I will be retiring shortly.”

The guard backed away before turning and going back to stand just outside the solar door.

Queen Liesel stood up with a smile and gave Marko a brief hug. “I really do want you to be happy here with us, you know,” she told her grandson softly. “I know this isn’t exactly what you expected, but really, if you give us a chance, I think you’ll come to like your new life. Sleep well, Markopunzel.”

“Good night, Your…” he hesitated, seeing her expression, and changed his wording, “…uh, Grandmother.”

The queen beamed, kissed his cheek, and left the room.

Floor hesitated, glancing from Marko to the door.

“Go,” he told her. “We both know the gossips are more likely to start squawking if you’re seen alone with me. I want to talk to you, but not tonight. Tomorrow at rehearsal, when Kai can make sure we’re not overheard.”

“Good night, then,” Floor said with a nod, hurrying after the queen.

Marko left the solar and made his way back to the guest wing, heading straight for Tuomas’s room. He tapped lightly on the door before nudging it open. “Hey… still awake?” he called softly.

Tuomas sat reading by the hearth, clad only in a pair of boxers. He looked up from his book with a smile. “For you, always,” he said. Marking his place with a scrap of paper, he set the book down and stood up as Marko entered.

The bassist made sure the door was locked before he pulled Tuomas close. “I missed you,” he said softly.

Tuomas slid his hands up under Marko’s tunic. “I missed you, too,” he murmured. “I want to spend every possible moment with you.”

“Gods, yes,” Marko sighed happily as his lover’s hands slipped over his chest. He yanked his tunic over his head and kicked off his shoes before pulling Tuomas close once more and pressing feathersoft kisses along his jaw before the dark-haired man grew impatient with the teasing.

Tuomas gave a soft growl and captured Marko’s lips in a bruising kiss. His hands slid down over the blond’s tight ass, pulling him even closer as he ground his erection against the growing bulge in Marko’s trews. “You are such a tease,” he murmured against his lover’s mouth.

“And you love it,” Marko answered as he attacked the sensitive spot at the base of Tuomas’s throat. Moving lower, he flicked his tongue across one pale nipple, then the other, blowing gently on the wet flesh before dropping to his knees and pulling his lover’s boxers down in one motion. He slid his hands up the back of Tuomas’s legs as he hesitantly closed his mouth around the dark-haired man’s cock.

“Marko… oh, gods…” Tuomas sank his fingers into his lover’s silky hair, his legs trembling as the wet heat of the bassist’s mouth enveloped his throbbing cock. “Feels so good…”

Encouraged by the keyboardist’s response, Marko grew bolder in his exploration of the other man’s body. One hand slipped higher to caress one pert ass cheek, while the other slid around to map out his lover’s inner thighs, balls, and the soft skin behind them.

Tuomas moaned, his hips jerking reflexively. “Please, baby… make me come…”

Marko purred, looking up at his lover’s face as he hollowed his cheeks and sucked harder, then changing the angle of his head so he could take Tuomas’s entire length without choking himself. He moaned, feeling his own cock straining at his trews when the keyboardist’s hands tightened in his hair.

“Yes…” Tuomas hissed, his fists tangled in Marko’s hair as he fucked the blond’s hot mouth. “Gonna come…” he warned as his balls tightened. Stars exploded behind his eyelids as he shuddered and strained forward, spilling himself into his lover’s eager mouth.

“Mmm…” Marko moaned as he swallowed that salty liquid, using his tongue to clean up every last drop. Only then did he let his lover’s softening cock slip from his lips as he leaned his cheek against him. “That was so hot,” he whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” said Tuomas. “Get those trews off.” He dropped to his own knees, trembling hands reaching to help his lover unfasten the trews and tug them down. “My turn to taste you, baby,” he murmured as he bent down to flick his tongue over the head of Marko’s steely cock.

“I’m already close just from watching you get off,” Marko warned. “I won’t… last… oh, gods!” His breath caught as that velvet tongue flicked over the head of his aching cock. The sudden wet heat engulfing his shaft caused him to moan and his cock to twitch eagerly. “Tuomas… please…”

Tuomas slid a hand between Marko’s legs, just teasingly brushing his fingertips against his lover’s tight entrance as he intensified the oral action.

Marko arched up, his vision graying out with the force of his climax before he fell back onto the hearthside rug. “Tuomas… that… gods…” he panted, trying to catch his breath.

Tuomas crawled up beside Marko, taking the bassist into his arms once more. “Yeah,” he agreed, kissing his lover softly.

They weren’t sure how long they stayed there, unwilling to move and spoil the closeness, but eventually the unforgiving stone floor under the rug demanded they find somewhere more comfortable. Marko nearly fell when he tried to stand, having forgotten that his trews were still around his ankles. Tuomas chuckled and tugged them the rest of the way off, then stood and pulled Marko up as well. They crawled into bed and dozed off, still wrapped around each other.

Waking early enough to get to his own room before the servants came around with coffee, Marko gathered up his clothing from where he’d dropped it the night before and gave Tuomas a gentle kiss before exiting. He made it back to his room, where he washed up and dressed for the day before taking himself to the rehearsal room.

Picking up his acoustic guitar, he started playing a soft tune that he hadn’t yet shown the others. Marko started humming, then singing a few fragmented phrases with the music. Lyrics weren’t his strong point as a songwriter, but words were slowly but surely percolating into his consciousness, so he quickly grabbed pencil and paper to jot them down.

“Don’t give me love, don’t give me faith… da da da da… give innocence instead…” he sang quietly, writing the words and then playing the lines once again. Engrossed in his work, he didn’t notice the servant opening the door and entering to set a cup of coffee beside him. The fragrance soon penetrated his concentration, though, so he set the guitar aside in favor of sipping the aromatic brew. He sputtered and nearly spit out his first mouthful, though, when he heard Troy’s voice.

“What are you working on?” the older man asked.

Marko shrugged. “Just something that’s been in my head for a while,” he said, once he’d recovered from his surprise. “I didn’t notice you come in.”

Troy laughed. “I could tell. I’ve been here since before the coffee showed up.”

“Oh… sorry for ignoring you,” Marko said with a bit of a blush.

“You were busy,” Troy pointed out. “I could have interrupted, but I didn’t. I decided to just listen and enjoy the music instead. I like what you’ve done so far.”

“Thanks,” Marko said.

Troy grinned a bit and said, “You know you’re causing a bit of talk amongst the servants, right? Because you don’t order them around.”

Marko, who’d tensed up when Troy mentioned gossip, relaxed again. “As long as that’s all they’re saying, I don’t care. I didn’t grow up with servants and I honestly don’t like the thought of people doing most chores for me.” He grinned wryly, adding, “Okay, I’ll admit, I’m good with someone else doing my laundry, especially since they do it by hand around here. But for the rest of it – no. Mom spent too many years teaching me to put my dirty clothes in the laundry basket instead of leaving them in an untidy heap wherever I took them off for me to be comfortable leaving them in a heap now just because there’s someone whose job it is to pick up dirty clothing as well as wash it.”

“You also make your own bed, get up and dressed and even braid your hair without calling anyone to help you,” Troy said. “You don’t even ask for any particular foods at mealtimes, not even at breakfast.”

With exquisite timing, a servant poked his head in the door of the rehearsal room. “Did you want something special for breakfast, Your Royal Highness?”

Marko facepalmed, then shook his head. “No, whatever is being served is fine, thank you for asking, though.”

The servant nodded and vanished, returning momentarily with a pair of plates holding pancakes with bacon cooked into them, poached eggs in some sort of cream sauce, and cups of melon balls.

“Pancakes,” Marko commented. “Emppu should be pleased, assuming he’s awake enough to notice that breakfast is here.”

Troy laughed.

They ate and stacked their dishes neatly for the servant to collect. The others wandered in one by one with Floor arriving last and grumbling that her assigned maid was driving her crazy by wanting to give her an elaborate hairstyle each morning when all she wanted was to put it up in a simple braid or bun to keep it out of her eyes. Once the servant came back around to collect the dishes, they spent about an hour and a half rehearsing.

When they decided to call a halt, Marko drew Floor off to one side of the room. “You seemed upset last night,” he said. “More than just… what we’re both upset over, I mean. Is there anything I can do?”

She shrugged. “Oh, it’s just that Lady Hulda and a couple of others are being catty about me. You know, because I showed up with five men and no female chaperone. Most of the time I can ignore it, but I was still kind of upset after the dance lesson yesterday when they started up at dinner, so it bothered me more than usual. Thanks for asking, though.”

“Well, maybe I can help some, but a lot would depend on how you feel about things,” Marko said awkwardly. “Your biggest worry right now is that your sister will marry you off to someone you’d rather not touch with a ten-foot pole, right?”

“Yes,” Floor nodded. “It’s bad enough that I can’t marry Kai because he’s not royal or even noble, plus he’s from the east, but I really, really don’t trust Ariveena to match me with anyone decent.

“Would you be willing to marry me, then? Knowing there’s a good chance you won’t have children,” Marko added, looking even more awkward and uncomfortable. “I’ve never… well, you know… with a woman and I’m honestly not sure I can. But Kai suggested this yesterday and Tuomas agreed. You and I, we’re friends, and sooner than later, my grandfather is going to force me into marriage. I’d rather marry you than some stranger, and I think you know I’d treat you well.”

“I… wow. I wasn’t expecting that,” Floor said. “I need to think about it, if that’s okay? I’m not saying no, you might be right that doing this will be best for both of us, but I need to think about it before I say yes.”

Marko nodded. “I don’t blame you. I just figure, my grandmother, at least, she’s trying to get me to be happy about being here and all that. So if I say I want to marry you, I expect she’ll make sure my grandfather gives his blessing and puts pressure on your sister to allow it.”

Floor nodded as well. “I’ll let you know later tonight,” she promised. “I think you’re probably right, about all of it, but I need some time to get used to the idea.”

Marko smiled. “I understand. Anyway, that’s all I wanted to talk to you about, so go on back to Kai while you have the chance.”

Floor gave him a quick hug. “Thanks for understanding,” she said with a smile of her own.

The three couples once again spent a bit of time together before making their way to the Great Hall for lunch. At the end of the meal, the four young ladies volunteering for the dance lesson accompanied them back to the rehearsal room, where they met the minstrel Wilhelm, brushed up on the minuet, and spent the rest of the lesson learning the figures of the quadrille. At the end of the lesson, after the minstrel departed, the members of Nightwish played a couple of songs to thank their dance partners for their time and everyone headed off to their own rooms to wash and dress for dinner.

At the High Table, Marko was seated between the queen and Floor. He made a point of pulling out Floor’s chair for her and otherwise being attentive to her needs throughout the meal. She gave him a slight smile and a nod.

Queen Liesel took note of their interaction and grew hopeful. Under ordinary circumstances, the fact that Princess Flooriel had been in the company of several men without a proper chaperone meant that her reputation had been ruined and they wouldn’t consider offering for her for their grandson and Heir. But Markopunzel had been a part of that group of men and seemed fond of the girl, plus the healing mage who examined her had said she was still pure. If his interest lay in Princess Flooriel’s direction, and if having her was what it took to get him to accept his proper place here in Corona instead of pining for his old life as a common minstrel, she would make good and sure King Ranulf tendered the offer to Natexia!

As she and King Ranulf stood to officially end the meal and allow those who wished to move on to whatever plans they had for the evening, she leaned over to speak quietly to her grandson. “If you would be so kind as to escort me and Princess Flooriel to the solar, I have a book for you to read as quickly as possible. I’m sure Lord Troymer can answer any questions you may have about the information it contains.”

Marko nodded. “Of course, You… uh, Grandmother.” He offered his arms to the two women and walked with them to the solar.

Queen Liesel walked over to a writing desk in the corner of the room, extracting a slim volume from a cubby within.

Once the queen was out of earshot, Floor looked at Marko. “I’d like to accept your offer,” she said softly. “I think Kai and Tuomas are right; it might not be exactly what either of us wants, but for both of us, it’s much better than the alternatives. Should we tell Her Majesty now, or wait until lunchtime tomorrow?”

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Marko admitted. “Now might be better? I suspect my grandmother will be on our side, as she seems to be a bit of a romantic, and that will give her tonight to overcome any objections the king might have. Besides, since they already sent word to Natexia that you’ve been found alive and well, the sooner they send word that I want to marry you, the less time your sister will have to arrange a betrothal for you, with someone you wouldn’t approve of.”

Floor nodded as the queen walked back over and handed Marko a book titled _To the Manners Born: A Guide to Etiquette for the Children of Nobility_. “I’m afraid it’s a bit simplistic,” Queen Liesel said apologetically, “but while it was written for children, it’s one of the best guides to proper etiquette that I’ve ever seen. Plus, because it’s written in relatively simple language, it makes things easy for an adult who might need to learn the contents quickly.”

Marko accepted the book. “Thank you, Grandmother,” he said. “I don’t know if this is something that might be covered in the book, but I’d rather tell you now than wait to see if there’s a specific way of doing so.” He took a deep breath and told her, “Since His Majesty has made it clear that I’ll need to marry in the near future, I’d like to take Princess Flooriel as my bride and she’s agreed, as long as we have your approval.”

“You have mine, with all my heart,” Queen Liesel said with a smile. “And I’ll make sure your grandfather gives his approval as well. Please don’t say anything to anyone else, though, at least until he’s done so and sent a formal betrothal offer to Natexia and Queen Ariveena.” She gave him a hug and then took Floor’s hand. “Come, my dear, you should spend some time with ladies near your own age. Perhaps you’ll make some friends among those who’ve been participating in the dance lessons?” Drawing Floor into the solar, she left Marko standing at the door.

He couldn’t help but grin as Hildegaard, Marta, Louisa, and Gisela surrounded Floor, peppering her with questions about her singing. As he turned to head back to his room, he could already hear her giving them some pointers and singing a few random notes to demonstrate.

****************************************

Most of the next two weeks passed in much the same way. Despite the looming separation, the band continued to rehearse each morning, with the time after lunch devoted to dancing lessons. The after-dinner hours varied a bit; Floor had to spend some time with the Ladies of the Court, while Marko had to spend several evenings in the company of his grandparents, being formally presented as Crown Prince to ambassadors from the majority of the western kingdoms.

Many of the ambassadors brought him gifts from their monarchs, which ranged from practical to useless and ostentatious. The ambassador from Bordeaux actually gave two gifts, an official gift of an ornate bejeweled torque, and a beautifully crafted wooden music box with Corona’s Royal Arms inlaid on its lid, which played a popular minuet and had been sent as a collective gift by the innkeepers in Marneville who’d given Nightwish their first jobs as a band. Marko appreciated the music box above the other gifts he received, knowing that it came from people who knew him and weren’t just making an expected gesture to the new Crown Prince.

Floor’s mother, the Queen Mother Ariel, arrived in person from Natexia, presenting Marko with a set of goblets enchanted to change color if the drink within them contained poison before joyfully reuniting with the daughter she thought she’d lost. She also brought the betrothal agreement signed by Queen Ariveena, along with her own personal blessing on the betrothal.

On the one hand, Marko was glad that the betrothal went through. Floor would be safe from her sister’s schemes, and he’d be safe from a forced marriage with a stranger. On the other hand, the now that the betrothal agreement was signed, he felt increasingly trapped by his grandfather’s expectations. He did get the king to agree to wait to announce the betrothal for a few weeks yet, as he didn’t think he and Floor would be able to act like a happy and loving couple if Tuomas and Kai were present. He simply used the excuse that if he didn’t attend at least one ball with other eligible royal and noble ladies before taking himself off the market, it would likely cause hard feelings towards Corona, Natexia, or both. King Ranulf agreed, and immediately started planning such a ball, to be held in two weeks’ time. Marko tried not to sigh when he realized the ball would happen the night before their friends would board the train for the trip to Suomellen. Tonight would be the last night in the Palace for the other four members of Nightwish.

At least Queen Liesel made sure he and Floor would be free to spend the evening with their friends, as part of her ‘make my grandson happy’ campaign. As soon as the king officially ended dinner, Marko offered Floor his arm and escorted her to their rehearsal room. Once they got there, Floor hurried over to cuddle with Kai and Marko made a beeline for Tuomas. Troy and Emppu took positions near the door, so they could warn the others if a servant or anyone else approached the room.

Tuomas wrapped his arms around Marko. “Damned if I know how I’m going to replace you two in the band,” he whispered. “I already know I’m never going to replace you in my heart.”

“Nor will I replace you in mine,” Marko said softly. “Unfortunately, I can’t help much when it comes to the band. Maybe look up that old friend, teach her agent husband to play bass and bring them both in? Troy can probably take over my vocal parts.”

Tuomas snorted. “Allow that prick of an agent anywhere near my band? No way!” He twined his fingers in Marko’s hair, toying with the silky strands. “Will you be able to stay in contact, do you know?”

Marko shrugged. “I don’t know. I can try writing, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to send it. I mean, I can give it to a servant to mail, but they might have orders to prevent me from contacting anyone in the east. I don’t think they’ve even sent word to Dad and Zach that I’m here.” He gave a mirthless chuckle, adding, “I think in some ways, they’re relieved that Mom died. Can you imagine the horror if she and her electrician husband turned up here instead of me? I might come from a common background, but I’m single and young enough to be ‘trained’ properly as a royal. If Mom had been alive to make the trip as she’d planned, they’d have been faced with a common housewife, one who’d been married for nearly twenty years to her working-class husband.”

“Yeah, they would have had a hard time spinning that one to suit the sensibilities of the nobility around here,” Tuomas agreed. “Do you want me to contact your father and brother when I get back home? I can call, write, or even go visit them if you want me to, Kuipetto isn’t that far of a trip from Kitellon. Besides, they should know what happened to you. God-sword and everything.”

“That stupid sword,” Marko snorted. “If I hadn’t found it, no one would have paid any attention to me and what I was doing here.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Tuomas said. “Face it, love, you don’t exactly blend into the crowd, not with that gorgeous hair of yours. Once we started playing, you’ll notice you were the first of us to draw the crazy fangirls.” He smiled, a little sadly. “I bet it was a fangirl that outed you to the Palace here,” he mused. “I can see that… you were doing research, so what better excuse to approach you at a show to talk to you than approaching with an offer to help you with your research? Only when she looked at your research, she found what you didn’t want anyone to find.”

Marko nodded. “And with the story of the Lost Princess being the single biggest thing that ever happened in Corona and knowing that I was looking for records of girls in foster care, whoever it was immediately alerted someone here. Yeah, please do let Dad and Zach know that I’m stuck here. Maybe they’ll come for a visit and annoy the king by doing so.”

Tuomas kissed him gently. “You’re getting rather passive-aggressive, aren’t you?”

“There’s not much else I can be,” Marko sighed. “I might as well be a prisoner here, for all they’ve titled me the Crown Prince. They can turn me into a real prisoner if I don’t at least give the appearance of cooperation. At this point, I’m pretty much down to hoping I’ll inherit sooner than later, so I can try to drag this country out of feudalism. Or at least so that I can bring you guys back and say fuck it all, this king and queen are members of a band whether anyone likes it or not.”

“I can just see the promotional posters,” Tuomas laughed softly. “Nightwish, featuring the King and Queen of Corona! That ought to draw some crowds, out of curiosity if nothing else.”

The three couples continued to cuddle and talk until the clock chimed eleven. “I better bring Floor back to her quarters before anyone kicks up a fuss,” Marko said with a sigh.

“I guess this is goodbye, then,” Floor said softly. “I don’t dare try to see you before you leave in the morning. I don’t think I could keep it together if I did.” She hugged Tuomas, Emppu, and Troy in turn before moving back to Kai for one last embrace. “I love you,” she said. “Stay safe, Kai.”

“I love you, too, Floor,” Kai said. “Be as happy as you can.” He kissed her gently and stepped back.

Marko tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her from the room. Bringing her to her quarters, he offered her a hug of his own. “I’ll have a shoulder for you whenever you need it,” he told her softly.

She nodded. “I’ll have one for you as well,” she said. “This has to be harder for you than it is for me in a lot of ways. At least I always knew I’d probably have to marry for political reasons, even if I did have a couple of weeks to hope otherwise.”

Marko kissed her on the forehead. “Try to sleep,” he said. “You don’t want puffy red eyes and a bunch of questions in the morning.”

“You try to sleep as well,” she said. “You’ll be moved to the family suites tomorrow and you’ll probably have to start your lessons in history and governance.”

“Don’t remind me,” he said with a shudder and exaggerated sigh as he turned to leave. “I always hated history and civics. If ever there was a cure for insomnia, those lessons are it!” He was rewarded with a slight chuckle as her door closed behind her.

Marko returned to the guest wing and took a look in the rehearsal room to make sure none of the guys had forgotten to pack anything. After the last couple of weeks, it looked strange without Kai’s drum kit and Tuomas’s keys dominating the far end of the room. The only things left were his bass, his acoustic guitar, his microphone, and his amp. He cased the instruments and dropped them off in his room before joining his lover.

Tuomas locked the door and pulled Marko into his arms. “I am going to miss you so much,” he whispered, a tear slowly rolling down his cheek.

Marko brushed it away with gentle fingers. “I love you, Tuomas,” he said. “Just remember that. I refuse to believe we found each other the way we did, only to be denied happiness. We might be apart for longer than either of us would want, but…” Suddenly nervous about speaking his thoughts aloud, he flicked his hair towards the table, grabbing a pencil and paper. He quickly wrote, **‘They’re bound to stop watching me and Floor so closely soon, especially if I cooperate. At worst, after we marry, we can try to run for the train while we’re on our honeymoon. Surely they’ll give us our privacy then, especially if I’ve convinced them I’m happy in my new position.’**

“What…?” Tuomas started to ask, then he read the note and nodded. “Yeah, I can see that,” he said, looking slightly less unhappy. He crumpled the note and tossed it into the blazing hearth, watching to make sure it burned completely. Then he pulled Marko to the bed.


	16. Chapter 16

As the four friends intended to leave well before the usual coffee-and-breakfast hour, Troy had arranged to have the makings of a couple of pots of coffee as well as some breakfast pastries and hard-boiled eggs, both under stay-fresh spells, brought to his room the night before. That way they’d be able to eat, and more importantly, get Emppu awake and moving, in time for their planned departure. Marko joined them for their meal, nibbling on a pastry but leaving the coffee for the travelers. He’d be able to catch another couple hours of sleep after seeing them off.

They said their farewells there in Troy’s room for the privacy. Emppu hugged him first. “You and Floor keep on singing,” he said. “I bet our dance partners would love to learn to rock out.” He gently tugged Marko’s beard, pulling him down to kiss him on the cheek. “And keep songwriting. Your stuff is good.”

“I will,” Marko said with a smile, returning the hug and the kiss. “Try not to drive everyone too crazy with pranks on the road.”

“No promises,” Emppu laughed, stepping back to let Troy have a turn.

“Have fun trying to keep him in line,” Marko chuckled as he hugged the older man. “Stay safe.”

Troy shook his head with a smile. “As if anyone can manage that,” he said. “I think filling in that chasm the train crosses would be the easier task. Remember what I taught you and don’t disgrace yourself at the ball.”

Marko nodded as Kai stepped in for his hug. “You’ll look after her?” the drummer whispered, his expression bleak.

“Always,” Marko promised. “I’ll keep her safe and as happy as possible.” He hesitated, then added, “Talk with Tuomas tonight, when you’re well away from here. And take care of yourself as well.”

Startled, Kai looked at him with wide eyes, then he nodded slowly. “I will,” he said.

Marko stepped over to his lover and tugged him close. “Remember,” he whispered, “this is not goodbye, it’s just until we meet again. I love you, Tuomas.”

“I love you, too, Marko,” Tuomas whispered back, shaking a little with the strain of trying to block out everyone’s emotions. He lifted a hand to his lover’s face, caressing his cheek as he gazed into Marko’s bright blue eyes as if trying to memorize his features. Then he stepped back and straightened his shoulders, picking up his packs and exiting without another word.

The other three grabbed their packs and followed. Marko watched them walk down the hallway until they turned the corner. Only then did he go to his room and crawl into bed to nap for a few hours.

He woke up again when a servant brought in coffee and a full breakfast. “Her Majesty wishes you to attend her once you’ve eaten and dressed,” the man said.

“I’ll be there as soon as possible,” Marko said, glancing at the clock. He picked at his meal, not feeling very hungry, but knowing he’d make himself sick if he didn’t eat. Once he finished what he could, he dressed and braided his hair for the day. As an afterthought, he packed his instruments and amp into his expanded-space backpack and shouldered it before setting out for Queen Liesel’s solar.

“There you are, Markopunzel,” Queen Liesel said. She smiled, asking, “Was there anything in particular you wanted to do today?”

He shook his head. “I figured that with the rest of the band gone, I would be given lessons of some sort. I know Troy gave me the quick version so that I could get through all the diplomatic presentations and not embarrass myself, but I know there’s still plenty that I don’t know.”

Queen Liesel nodded. “Well, it’s true that there will be more lessons now that you’re no longer spending time with your minstrel friends, but Ranulf and I thought today ought to be more of a… a transition for you. A chance for you to truly come to terms with your new life, now that your old friends are no longer here tying you to your old life.”

“I see,” Marko said. “What do you suggest, then?”

“It’s not hunting season, but perhaps you’d care to go for a ride? Princess Flooriel could accompany you, as long as you’re chaperoned, and I thought you might like the chance to get outside for a while,” the queen suggested.

“Ride? You mean on a horse?” Marko looked a little nervous. “I don’t know how.”

“How can you not know how to ride?” Queen Liesel looked shocked. “Is your stepfather that poor, then, that you didn’t keep at least one horse?”

Marko shook his head. “In Suomellen, everyone has cars. Powered vehicles. A few people ride for the fun of it, but hardly anyone keeps horses and certainly not as regular transportation. Cars are much faster than horses and they don’t get tired, plus you can fit more people in one car than on one horse, so they’re much more practical.”

“Oh my. That never would have occurred to me,” said the queen. “Well, I suppose it’s better you told me this now, than for us to arrange a hunt in season and be surprised when you were actually faced with a horse.” She looked mildly disturbed at the revelation. “What sort of things are you used to doing, then, aside from playing your music?”

Marko couldn’t help but chuckle. “Honestly, not much. Oh, I was taking classes at university, although I hadn’t yet chosen my major – but that was probably going to be music. I was in a band with my brother and a couple of his friends, and we played the local bars… taverns… on weekends. They’re all older than me and have regular jobs already, so they were happy enough for the chance to play out locally and weren’t looking for a career in music like I was. If I’d declared my major in music, I would have eventually become a music teacher, although I still would have jumped for a chance to get in with a band that had ambitions to do more than play local bars. I thought I’d found it with Nightwish, but with the revelation about my parentage…” He shrugged a little.

“Other than that, sometimes Zach or one of the other guys would talk me into joining a friendly baseball or hockey game. But I’m not very good at either. Well, with baseball, there’s too much chance of injury to the hands, which is something no musician wants; it could ruin the chances of a good career, so it’s really not my thing. And hockey, it’s fun, but my hair is a bit of a liability in that game. There’s too much of it to fit under the helmet, but even when I wore it braided for games, it got hung up in other players’ sticks, or worse, an opponent would grab it as I skated by and pull me off balance,” he concluded.

Queen Liesel looked completely confused. “I… I don’t believe either of those games are played here. I don’t recognize the names, anyway. Perhaps you might enjoy learning to ride? If nothing else, it will give you a bit of time outdoors. Or, I’m told you have a sword? You could go to the drill-field and do some sparring with the Palace Guards.

“I suppose learning to ride might come in handy,” Marko said with a sigh. “As for the sword, I may have managed to use it against the men attacking Troy and Floor that time, but I had no idea what I was doing, and I can’t say I’m all that interested in learning anymore. Not after the number of assumptions people have made about me and my motives, just because that sword was supposedly left for me to find by the god who sired me.” He shrugged, adding, “It’s likely that my sire had the best of intentions, leaving the sword for me, but as far as I’m concerned, he didn’t do me any favors. Every time we hit a new town, I got questioned by the authorities because someone at the terminal sent out word that the so-called god-sword had been claimed by the easterner with all the hair and they all seemed surprised that I wasn’t planning to use it to slay a dragon or something equally heroic and stupid.”

“Well, you did manage to rescue the princess, even if it wasn’t from a dragon,” Queen Liesel said with a laugh. “Most people would consider that rather heroic.”

Marko chuckled. “I suppose, but I didn’t rescue her by myself. That was definitely a group effort with the guys.” He shrugged a bit and asked, “So, if I’m going to learn to ride, how do I start? And is there any way to either prevent or cure the soreness that happens to novices? After we rescued Floor and Troy, we put Emppu up on one of the horses with her to hold her steady since she was unconscious, and the poor guy could barely walk after he got down again.”

The queen laughed again. “Well, keep the first lesson to an hour or so, work up to longer times as you get used to riding, that will help some. There’s no real escape from saddle-soreness at first, though. You’ll just have to work through it with the help of some muscle salve. A good hot bath afterwards can help as well. As to getting started, you’ll want to change your shoes for boots – you’ll find a pair in your wardrobe, we had more clothing appropriate to your station made up for you over the last couple of weeks – and then someone will take you out to the stable. Meanwhile I’ll send word that you’re on your way for a riding lesson, and one of the grooms will have a nice gentle horse saddled and waiting for you and will teach you the basics.”

“All right, Grandmother, and thank you,” Marko said, impulsively giving her a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room to change into his boots. While he would rather be on the road with the guys instead of being trapped in the palace and forced to learn how to be a proper Crown Prince, he knew the queen really hoped he’d adjust to the situation and be happy. She’d been truly saddened by the loss of her daughter, not just the loss of the original Heir Apparent, and was ecstatic to have found her grandson – again, as opposed to being pleased to have found the new Heir Apparent – so he didn’t mind making a few small gestures to make her happy. He actually felt a little sorry, knowing that she’d be hurt once again whenever he managed to make his escape, but not sorry enough to stay.

Queen Liesel beamed when her grandson gave her a kiss. She rang for a pair of servants. “Take a message to the stables,” she told the first one. “It seems that they use some sort of self-propelled carriages where His Royal Highness grew up, so he doesn’t know how to ride. Let the Master of Horse know to have a gentle horse saddled for him, and to have a groom ready to ride with him and instruct him.” Turning to the second, she said, “And you go to His Royal Highness’s quarters to escort him to the stables.” As the servants exited to follow their orders, she sat down with her needlework, hopeful that her grandson’s willingness to learn to ride signified that he was starting to accept his position.

After changing into his boots, Marko followed his guide out to the stables, where he met a groom named Lucas who introduced him to a reddish-brown mare called Cinnamon. He learned how to mount, how to hold the reins and guide the horse, and how to move with Cinnamon when she trotted, so that he didn’t get jolted painfully into the saddle with each step. At the end of an hour, Lucas called a halt to the lesson, joking that he had his orders not to cripple Marko, who joked back that he was glad to hear it. He winced a little as he dismounted, but since he’d only ridden for that hour, he didn’t limp too much as he headed back to his new quarters and a good soak in a hot bath.

After lunch, he went back to his quarters and practiced for about an hour. He would have preferred to practice with Floor, but he decided he’d be better off learning the schedule that he’d been told would begin tomorrow before trying to find a time they both had free. Instead, when he finished his practice, he pulled out a history book from the shelf in his quarters and settled in to read. As he’d told Floor, he wasn’t overly fond of history in general, but as long as he was going to have to suffer through lessons, he figured he might as well get a head start. When time came to dress for dinner, Marko set the book down and made sure his hair and clothing looked alright before heading to the Great Hall. After the meal, he once again joined Their Majesties in the audience chamber to meet yet another ambassador with yet another token of esteem for the Crown Prince.

Marko actually found this ambassador somewhat interesting, as his garb seemed quite exotic; baggy pantaloons and some sort of wrapped shirt, shoes with turned-up toes, and a huge turban with a brightly colored plume and jewel decorating the front. Bringing the greetings of the Sultan of Agrabah, the ambassador presented Marko with several intricately designed carpets in shades of blue, red, and gold. Each carpet was enchanted to expand or shrink in size with the use of command words, so that it could be sized to fit in any space he cared to use it.

“These are beautiful,” he told the ambassador. “I’ve never seen anything like them before. Please express my most heartfelt thanks for such an incredible gift.”

The ambassador bowed low. “The Sultan will be most pleased to have pleased you, Your Royal Highness,” he said. “I will be sure to extend your personal thanks.” He backed away once more.

“Very nicely done, Markopunzel,” King Ranulf said quietly. “You see? Your duties really aren’t that hard to learn.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Marko said, keeping his face impassive. He might have grown somewhat fond of his grandmother, but he really, truly disliked his grandfather. He didn’t dare let his true feelings towards the king show, however, lest he find himself even more closely guarded than he already was.

He handed the carpets – all currently small enough to be carried in one hand – to a servant, instructing the man to bring them to his quarters. He’d look them over more carefully once the evening ended. Perhaps tomorrow he’d ask Floor to take a look as well before deciding where to put any of them. As far as the king and queen knew, the two planned to marry for love and so he figured it would be expected of him to consult with his future bride when it came to decorating the rooms they would eventually share.

Eventually King Ranulf officially ended the gathering and Marko gratefully made his escape. He hated the way most of the courtiers fawned all over him in hopes of gaining something for themselves. Oh, there were a few, mainly the young ladies who’d helped out with his dance lessons, that he thought might see past the Crown Prince title to the man behind it, but he suspected that even they had volunteered for the lessons in hopes of possibly attracting the Crown Prince’s affections. He also suspected that if they did see the man behind the title, it most likely took him stepping on their toes a dozen times or more during the lessons to bring them to that point.

He shut his door behind himself and sighed. “Alone at last,” he muttered to himself as he loosened his hair from its braid, shaking it out as he relaxed. After a few minutes, Marko moved over to the stack of carpets, picking them up one by one and enlarging them just enough to get a good look at the patterns. One stood out from the others, mostly in shades of blue with a deep border patterned in gold with touches of red and black, and with golden tassels on each corner. “Oh, I like you,” he remarked.

And then his eyes grew wide as the carpet in question lifted itself upright and appeared to bow in response. “What the fuck?” Marko breathed. “I don’t think I drank _that_ much tonight.”

The carpet responded by taking up a pose reminiscent of his late mother with her hands on her hips about to deliver a scolding when he was a kid. Then it shook one tassel at him.

“Okay, this is just… weird,” Marko said. “And considering my hair, it takes a lot for me to find something weird. All right, uh, not sure what I should call you, but, uh, what’s going on?”

The carpet seemed to consider the question. It gave the impression of shrugging, then it laid itself flat once more. One tassel pointed at Marko and then at a spot in the middle of its central medallion. He gingerly stepped onto the carpet, which responded by reaching up with two tassels to nudge him down into a seated position.

Marko sat. “Okay, uh, Carpet… now what?” And then stifled a yelp as the carpet lifted up and gently sailed around the room. “Whoa… I wasn’t expecting this!” He laughed. “It’s different, that’s for sure.”

The carpet landed once more and Marko stood up and moved to a chair, looking at it thoughtfully. The carpet mimicked his pose, making him smile.

“I suspect you might come in very, very handy,” Marko said. “I don’t suppose you can write? I have some questions that I’m not sure you can answer with gestures.”

The carpet drooped and gave the impression of shaking its nonexistent head.

“Well, no matter, I’m sure we can figure something out,” Marko said. “Can you carry two people?”

The carpet gave a definite nod.

Marko smiled. “All right, good. So, speed is the next question… it takes about ten days to walk to the train from here. Can you get there faster than that?”

Another definite nod, and the carpet held its tassels apart, and brought them closer together again.

Marko considered that for a moment. “So, you can get there in much less time than ten days? As little as one day, perhaps?”

The carpet pressed its tassels even closer together in response.

“Less than a day, hmm?” Marko looked pleased. “Right, the train leaves at midday, the day after the ball. If the ball ends after midnight, would there be time to make it to the train?”

The carpet nodded once more.

Marko smiled again. “Perfect. Does anyone here but me know you can fly?”

This time the carpet responded with another negative shake of its nonexistent head.

“Even better,” Marko said. “It might not look it, but I’m sort of a prisoner here, me and a friend of mine. We’d planned on being on the train east but we’re not allowed to leave the Palace.” He paused as the carpet ‘walked’ over and sympathetically patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Carpet. Anyway, as long as nobody knows you can fly, as long as they think you’re just a carpet that I like and so have in my quarters, I think we can fly out of here after the ball when hopefully everyone will be sleeping extra well.”

The carpet straightened up, gave a salute, and glided into his bedroom where it placed itself next to the bed.

Marko followed it into the bedroom and smiled. “Perfect, my friend. I’m sorry I have to ask you to pretend you’re not special for the next couple of weeks, but you’re our only hope of getting out of here anytime soon.” He kicked off his shoes and stripped down to his boxers for the night.

The carpet lifted up a little way, one corner raised higher than the others in a questioning gesture.

“It’s a long story,” Marko said with a yawn as he climbed into bed. “The short version is, Floor and I are both in love with other people, but due to things beyond our control, we’ve been pushed into agreeing to marry each other. Which is better than our alternatives, but still not what either of us truly wants. And of course, we’re being watched. Neither of us has been allowed out of the Palace and courtyard since we arrived here. My original thought was to go through with the wedding and make our escape while on our honeymoon since I figured they wouldn’t follow us around for that. But if we go that route, it will be at least six months, maybe a year before we can get reunited with our loves. Me receiving you as a gift gives us the chance to only be parted from them for a couple of weeks.” He yawned again. “Mind if I give you the long version tomorrow?”

The carpet drifted higher and reached out with one tassel to pat his shoulder before sinking back into place once more.

Marko smiled. “G’night, Carpet,” he said, closing his eyes.

************************************

Over the next twelve days, Marko continued his riding lessons, if only for the opportunity to get some exercise to counter the time he had to spend in his history and governance lessons. He managed to find a little time each day to practice, although King Ranulf looked displeased whenever he mentioned anything to do with music. He suspected Queen Liesel interfered on his behalf, in that he hadn’t actually been forbidden from playing altogether, but it didn’t stop the king from trying to keep him too busy to play.

He also managed to talk to Floor briefly, by the simple expedient of requesting a dance session to refresh his memory before the upcoming ball. As they waltzed to the sound of the minstrel Wilhelm’s rebec, he asked her, “Do you still have your backpack and your travel clothes?”

“Yes,” she said. “I said I wanted to keep them for when I either traveled back to Natexia or else went on to Bordeaux to establish that embassy as originally planned. Not that I’ll be doing either of those things now, but I’ve left orders that nothing be discarded from my wardrobe without my express orders.”

“Good,” Marko said. “After the ball, once you’ve dismissed your maid for the night, put on your travel clothes and pack anything you want to bring in your backpack. Then wait out on your balcony. I think I have a way for us to get on the train with the others.”

Floor looked at him with wide eyes. “Really?” she breathed.

“Really,” he confirmed. “Also, forgive me for this, but we need to look like a happy couple right now. Grandmother just walked in.” He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.

She blushed lightly and couldn’t help but giggle as his beard tickled her cheek. “You idiot,” she said affectionately.

“There you two are,” Queen Liesel’s voice sounded from behind Floor. “Markopunzel, your grandfather asked me to remind you that you’re supposed to accompany him to the Crown City Garrison after lunch, so you’ll want to change into the appropriate clothing including your boots before then. Lucas reports that your riding skills have improved to where you’re good enough to take a short ride into the city with a group, and of course Ranulf wants you to start taking on more visible duties after the ball. He thought you might prefer working with the specialists rather than a cavalry unit as is customary for a Crown Prince.”

Marko tilted his head. “What do the specialists do?” he asked.

Queen Liesel chuckled. “I don’t know for certain, as I’m a woman,” she said. “I understand that ‘specialist’ in military terms covers pretty much everything that isn’t infantry or cavalry. Mages, of course, and men who are trained in building, along with men who train and handle tracking dogs. I’m sure there are other things that I don’t know about.”

“Fair enough,” Marko said with a nod, “and yes, I’d prefer working with the specialists. Not that I can ride well enough for cavalry yet anyway. I assume today is to introduce me to the officers I’ll be working with after the ball?”

“Most likely,” Queen Liesel said. “I didn’t ask.”

Marko turned to the minstrel with a smile. “Wilhelm, thank you for playing for us once more. You’ve been a big help letting me get some extra practice, so I don’t embarrass myself tomorrow night.”

“You’re quite welcome, Your Royal Highness,” the elderly minstrel said with a smile of his own. The Crown Prince might be eccentric with his insistence on playing that strange loud instrument of his on a daily basis, but the young man was unfailingly polite to the servants as well as to the nobles of the Court. Standing up, Wilhelm bowed and backed away before turning to leave the room.

Floor smiled at Marko and the queen. “I probably should go get washed up and changed for lunch myself,” she said. Playfully grabbing Marko’s beard, she tugged him in and gave him a quick kiss for Queen Liesel’s benefit before leaving.

The queen made a point of taking her grandson’s arm and walking with him towards his quarters. “I’m glad you’re starting to settle in so well,” she told him. “I’m trying to talk your grandfather into sending for your stepfather and stepbrother to come for your wedding, you know. Unfortunately, Ranulf seems to be of the opinion that if they were to visit, you would once again become uncomfortable with your position here. Still, we cannot possibly set the date for anything less than six months from the time we announce your betrothal, and that won’t happen for at least another month, so there will be time for me to work on it.”

“I do appreciate the effort, Grandmother, even if the results are less than perfectly satisfactory,” Marko said. “And since I’m sure it’s your doing that I haven’t been forbidden from playing, thank you for that as well. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m still not entirely comfortable here, but as long as I have my music, I can relax and adjust to things a lot better than if I couldn’t just forget about everything for an hour or so each day.” He bent and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he released her arm in front of his door.

Queen Liesel smiled and returned that kiss. “I want you happy, Markopunzel,” she said softly. “I never had the chance to tell your mother how much I loved her and missed her. But fortunately, a clerk at the tax archives saw your research, and while you didn’t see the possible connection between Corona’s Lost Princess and yourself, the clerk saw it and alerted her superior, who then alerted us… and now I have my grandson with me. Do you blame me for wanting to spoil you just a little bit?”

He smiled. “Not at all, Grandmother, and I am glad I’m getting to know you as well.” His smile widened into a lightly teasing grin as he added, “However, I do need to wash up before lunch, and I believe I’m just slightly too old for you to give me a bath.”

“Cheeky boy,” the queen laughed. “I’ll see you at lunch.” She headed down the hallway towards the Great Hall.

Marko entered his quarters and shut the door behind himself with a sigh. He didn’t actually need a bath, not when he’d only need another after riding this afternoon, but he washed up and looked over his full wardrobe to pick something that seemed appropriate for a meeting with military officers.

He chose well, judging from the look of approval King Ranulf bestowed upon him as they sat down to eat. Fortunately for his peace of mind, he had Floor on his other side, allowing him to mostly avoid any conversation with the king in favor of discussing the ball with her.

They held a lively debate about whether or not they ought to wear matching or complimentary outfits. He maintained that since the whole point of the ball was to give the appearance that he was available, if they showed up dressed in a way that indicated they were a couple, it would negate that impression.

She finally conceded that he was probably right and finally decided that she’d wear a similar dress to the first Court gown he’d seen her in, only in white and gold instead of black. “I have to look properly pure and ladylike and all that,” she said with a laugh.

“I admit, I’m glad I don’t have to give that particular impression,” Marko joked back. “I look terrible in white. Or so my tailor told me, when we first arrived here. I never much cared about clothes before, but since I no longer have the option of jeans and t-shirts for most occasions, I figure I ought to listen when someone whose business is clothes tells me what colors I should and shouldn’t wear.”

“Good idea,” Floor said impishly. “I don’t think you could pull off looking ladylike anyway.”

He laughed. “Actually, I can when my hair’s loose, at least from the back,” he told her. “When we got off the train and went to claim rooms at the hostel there, some idiot tried to send me to the women’s wing until I turned around and he saw my beard. Emppu laughed so hard he nearly fell over.”

Floor grinned. “I wish I’d seen it.”

“You’d have laughed, too, I’m sure,” Marko told her. He took a quick glance at the king and saw he was nearly done eating. “Looks like I’ve got to finish up and head out. If we end up too busy to see each other again today, I’ll see you tomorrow for sure. He gave her a smile and rose to his feet when King Ranulf did, then followed his grandfather out of the Great Hall.

The garrison visit proved uneventful, if longer than Marko had hoped. He got a guided tour of the entire place, from troop barracks all the way up to the generals’ administrative offices. Of the officers he met, he felt most comfortable with the man in charge of everything and anything to do with the non-horse animals used by the military: birds trained to carry written messages, two different kind of dogs trained to track people by scent – a big shaggy breed for finding lost and possibly injured people, and a more aggressive wolflike breed for hunting criminals – and pack beasts that he’d never seen before, with long necks and rabbity faces. His guide said they were called llamas, and that they could carry as much as a mule but were far less stubborn.

They got back with barely enough time to bathe and change for dinner, but to Marko’s relief, with the ball planned for the following night, there were no formal audiences or activities tonight. He gratefully escaped to his room after only an hour or so of the inane chatter that passed for conversation among the young men of the Court. He pulled out his acoustic guitar and played a few songs to relax before turning in early. He knew he wouldn’t get much sleep tomorrow night and figured he should take advantage of the opportunity while he had it.


	17. Chapter 17

When he got up in the morning, Marko found a note from the queen along with his breakfast, reminding him that he shouldn’t go riding this morning so that he wouldn’t be too sore to dance during the ball. He chuckled as he read it; he suspected she thought he might go riding and then try to avoid dancing by claiming he was too sore to do so. Because of the ball preparations, he only needed to make an appearance at lunch. He worked on the lyrics to the song he’d been writing until then, and again afterwards.

Eventually, it was time to get ready for the ball. He actually liked his new formal outfit, mostly black with touches of deep crimson as his tailor had suggested, and he had to admit to himself that the custom-made shoes were more comfortable than anything he’d gotten from the stores in Kuipetto. Once he finished dressing, he tied his hair and beard with matching crimson ribbons before making his way to the antechamber from which the Royal Family was to make their Grand Entrance into the ball.

He decided by the end of the evening that it could have been a lot worse. He partnered Floor for the opening minuet, and while he did have to dance with three other princesses who’d come for the ball, as well as about half the Ladies of the Court, whoever had made up the dance cards had at least attempted to pair him with young women who didn’t overtly treat him as some sort of prize to be won. He guessed his grandmother had done that for him. He’d grown fond of her over the time he’d been stuck in the Palace, and honestly felt a little bad that he planned on vanishing without a word to her – but not bad enough to stay in this gilded cage for the rest of his life.

The final dance of the evening was announced, and Marko danced it with his grandmother as per his dance card. He saw Floor paired with someone he vaguely recalled as being introduced as a prince from a place called Cleitcairn, and who spoke in a manner that reminded him of Troy, while his grandfather partnered one of the trio of princesses he’d danced with earlier. The dance drew to an end and he bowed to the queen with a flourish.

Queen Liesel beamed. “Very nicely done, Markopunzel, I do believe you’ve made the best possible impression tonight.”

“I had help, for which I thank you,” he replied with a smile of his own.

Once the proper farewells had been made, Marko escaped to his room, where a servant waited to help him undress and brush out his hair, something he still found ridiculous. He’d been changing his clothes and taking care of his own hair for years, decades even, and he felt silly with someone hovering about trying to unfasten his belt or untie the laces on his tunic for him. Eventually the servant stopped fussing and bowed himself out, leaving him alone.

To be safe, he waited another half an hour before pulling on the jeans and t-shirt he’d kept in a smaller pocket of his backpack, not wanting them to get stuck under his instruments in the space-expanded main part of his bag. On impulse, he grabbed the music box from the Marneville innkeepers and shoved it into the pocket he’d just emptied. It was the one gift he knew had been to him, rather than to his title. He settled the backpack into place, then at the last moment went to the writing desk and wrote a farewell to his grandmother, thanking her for her help and apologizing for disappearing, but stating that aside from the chance to get to know her, he hated everything else about the Royal lifestyle. He added that he and Floor were both in love with other people and did not, in fact, want to marry one another except as a last resort to save themselves from worse. And that he hoped that one day she could forgive him for leaving, but he had been raised to seek the life he wanted and not let others make his choices for him, so he felt he couldn’t stay as he had no desire to rule a kingdom despite what the king wanted.

Leaving the letter on the desk, Marko headed into his bedroom. Opening his window and peering out, he could just see Floor on her balcony across the courtyard. Turning back into the room for a moment, he softly called, “Hey, Carpet… ready to fly?”

The carpet jumped upright and bowed before gliding over and dropping down so he could climb aboard. Its sides curled up as it slipped through the window, then flattened out again as it flew across to Floor’s balcony.

Floor’s eyes widened as Marko suddenly appeared on the wrong side of her balcony’s railing. “How on earth…?”

He held out his hand. “It’s a flying carpet. Have you got everything you want to bring?” he asked. “We need to go before a guard notices the funny shadow or anything.”

She straddled the railing and took his hand to steady herself as she hesitantly stepped onto the flying carpet with a gesture at her backpack. “Yes, not that there’s much. One extra travel outfit, one decent dress, and the sheet music Tuomas gave me.”

Marko helped her get seated comfortably. “Okay, well, I don’t know exactly how fast the carpet can fly, but supposedly it can get us to the train before it leaves tomorrow. Later today. Whatever.” He patted the carpet gently. “Let’s get out of here, friend. Preferably without being spotted.”

The carpet waved one tassel, then glided upwards along the wall until reaching the level of the roof. Then it flew just over the roof itself until they reached the exterior walls. At that point, a strap emerged from one side of the carpet, slithered across their laps, and locked itself into the other side of the carpet.

“Huh?” Floor asked.

“Looks like a seatbelt,” Marko said.

The carpet gave a ‘thumbs up’ with both front tassels before zooming away from the Palace.

Floor squeaked in alarm and clutched at Marko’s arm. After a moment, her grip loosened, and she relaxed once more. “I never rode anything so fast in my life!”

“The train will be a lot faster than this,” Marko told her, “although we’ll be inside it, so we won’t have the wind to deal with. Cars in Suomellen can go at least this fast, but like the train, they don’t fly.”

Hearing shouts behind them, Marko looked back and groaned. “Oh, shit, someone spotted us, and I think they recognized me. I should have put my hair inside my shirt.”

“Do you think they’ll be able to catch us?” Floor asked.

“No idea,” Marko said. “You said yourself, you’ve never been on anything as fast as Carpet here. But I’ve seen for myself how quickly messages get around. They might not catch us here, but if they figure out where we’re headed…”

“They can send word to the terminal to keep us from getting on the train,” Floor finished unhappily.

Marko nodded grimly. “But only if they catch us,” he said. “Depending on when we get there, maybe we can sneak aboard the train before they actually start loading passengers.”

Floor nodded. “Let’s hope so.”

As they neared the terminal, they heard roosters loudly crowing to announce the rising sun. They grinned at each other, thinking about the time they’d all teased Emppu for cursing the birds in his sleep. They decided to land in the woods to try to stay out of sight of anyone who might have enough authority to detain them if Corona had already sent messages out that they’d fled.

Marko’s stomach growled as they landed. He looked embarrassed. “Yeah… sorry. I kinda forgot to think about packing any food,” he said.

Floor giggled as the carpet hauled itself upright, swatted him with one tassel, then pointed at a patch of berry bushes. She then pulled several pastries from her pack. “I see the carpet knows blackberries better than you do,” she laughed. “And I saved these from yesterday’s breakfast. They might be a little dry by now, but still better than going hungry. We don’t want that beast in your belly giving us away.”

He blushed, but accepted the teasing as deserved. “Okay, we’re in agreement that I’m an idiot. And thank you both.” As they ate, a thought came to him and he chuckled.

“What?” Floor asked.

“Eh, just silliness,” Marko said. “You always see carpets on floors, but I think today is the first I’ve seen a Floor on a Carpet.” He laughed as both Floor and Carpet swatted him.

“That was terrible,” she said, giggling. “But we should be quieter.” She yawned. “How long before the train leaves?”

He checked his watch. “Almost six hours. Go ahead and take a nap if you want. I’ll wake you in a couple of hours and then I’ll catch a nap myself while you keep guard.”

“Thanks,” Floor said with another yawn, curling up on Carpet and closing her eyes.

Two hours later, Marko shook her shoulder gently. “Time to wake up. Do you have a watch?”

She rubbed her eyes and sat up. “No, I don’t,” she said.

“Okay, take mine, then,” he told her, pulling off his watch and handing it to her as they traded places.

Two hours later, Floor shook his shoulder and handed him his watch and another pastry. “I figured you might want a snack before we go take a look at the train to see how best to get aboard. And maybe try to sneak closer and figure out if they’ve been notified to look for us or not.”

“Good thought,” he said.

After a single glance at the underbrush, he stopped to tie up his hair and beard, stuffing them down his shirt to prevent getting snarled in twigs and leaves.

Floor followed his example with her hair, wiggling a bit as she tucked her ponytail down the back of her tunic’s neckline. “It itches!”

Marko nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, but it’s better than getting stuck, or even spending a couple of hours untangling the knots and picking out dead leaves.”

They crept as close to the hostel as they dared, just in time to hear a bell ringing somewhere inside. A man stepped out and trotted over to a small outbuilding near their hiding place. “What news?” he asked through a small window.

“Magi-gram from Corona, sir,” a young man’s voice came from within. “You remember the man with the beard and all the hair who came in from the east to try to find information about his late mother’s family a couple months ago? The one who found the god-sword? We’re to be on the lookout for him, possibly with a female companion, and prevent him from boarding the train if he turns up.”

“Why, what’s he done?”

“It turns out his late mother was Corona’s Lost Princess. Somehow or other, a healer mage got hold of him and confirmed him as the grandson of King Ranulf and Queen Liesel. They declared him the Crown Prince, the Heir Apparent, but it seems as though he’s got other ideas and vanished sometime last night. Oh, and the girl that might or might not be with him is also royal, Princess Flooriel of Natexia. You know, the one we got word was dead a few weeks back, and then a week later a new report came in saying she’d been found alive in Corona.”

“What kind of idiot would try to avoid the throne of one of the most prosperous countries around?” the man they could see asked, looking incredulous.

The unseen voice chuckled. “One who wants to be a minstrel, I guess? He and the men he traveled with all had some odd-looking eastern instruments with them, as I recall. And while we might think him a fool for not wanting the kingdom, he’s smart enough to know that if he gets back to his country of birth, no one can force him back to Corona.”

“True enough, none of the kingdoms on this side of the Great Divide have extradition treaties with any of the eastern realms,” the visible man said. “Well, I’d best report and let everyone know to watch for the bearded hairy fellow and to detain him if they spot him. Especially the men in charge of loading the train.”

Floor and Marko exchanged a glance and slipped back to where Carpet waited for them.

“Now what?” Floor asked.

“Now it gets harder to board the train,” Marko said. He glanced at his watch. “It leaves in a little less than an hour.”

“Maybe we don’t have to board it? Maybe we can just fly behind it?” she suggested.

Carpet lifted upright and gave its impression of a negative shake of the head even as Marko said, “That’s a good thought, but it won’t work. Even if Carpet could fly that fast, the wind from the forward momentum would be enough to blow us off, even if we get to strap down again. It’s too bad we can’t contact the guys somehow, maybe have them cause a diversion so we can get in through the windows on the opposite side from the platform.” He sighed. “It’s too bad I can’t do Emppu’s trick of going completely unnoticed. Then we no one would see us going in through the windows. They’re not glassed over, you know, there’s some sort of magic shield that blocks the wind, but solid objects can pass through it.”

Floor bit her lip. “I can use my empathy to try to reach Tuomas,” she said. “Empathy’s not like speaking mind-to-mind, but he’s an empath too, so I’ve got a better chance of him recognizing that it’s me, you know? I don’t know if it’ll work, but I can try.”

Marko smiled. “It’s something. If he knows we’re close, I’m sure he’ll let the others know, and they’ll probably do what they can to keep attention on themselves. Let’s just hope it helps, but even if it doesn’t, we’re still in the same position as we are now.”

They settled aboard Carpet and flew through the trees to where they could see the train and a number of people milling around the platform. One fellow in the livery of the hostel and terminal appeared to be questioning their friends.

“…telling you, I haven’t seen them or heard from either of them since we left Crown City almost two weeks ago,” they heard Tuomas say impatiently. “Find a mage to put a damn honesty spell on me if you don’t believe me, rather than asking me the same question seventeen times!” The keyboardist shook his head. “I don’t even know how you people send messages so quickly without telephones anyway, so how could I possibly contact anyone around here outside of writing a letter on paper and mailing it?”

The man in livery looked frustrated. “But from the message we received, it’s believed that Prince Markopunzel intends making his way here. You were his traveling companions, so how can you not know where he is or how he got out of the Palace?”

“Maybe because we weren’t there, you bloody idiot,” Troy put in, using his most condescending tone of voice. “Their Majesties of Corona made it perfectly clear that they disapproved of His Royal Highness keeping any sort of contact with us once we walked out the Palace gates, and we did that nearly two weeks ago. There is not one shred of doubt in my mind that any mail arriving for His Royal Highness would be read before they would give it to him – if they approved of the mail and the sender. If they didn’t, well, that mail would never reach him.”

“And you are?”

“Lord Troymer of Dunbroch,” Troy said with a bow. “Now, are you going to continue to harass us, summon a mage for that honesty spell, or simply allow us to board the train so we can leave as planned? I warn you, if we are not aboard that train when it leaves, I will file a complaint that your harassment caused us to miss it and therefore the cost of our stay here for the next month should come from either the company’s coffers or else your pocket.”

The man scowled, but he had to admit that the group truly seemed to have no knowledge as to the whereabouts of Prince Markopunzel or Princess Flooriel. It was close enough to the train’s departure time that if he insisted on having them questioned by a mage, it would almost certainly leave without them, and as long as they were telling the truth and his actions caused them to miss the train, he or the company would be obliged to pay for them for the next month. “Very well, Lord Troymer, you may board. I highly recommend, however, that none of you travel west again.”

“Not if we can avoid it,” Emppu muttered. “Come on, guys, let’s find an empty carriage.”

Floor and Marko watched as the foursome moved towards the purple steam engine; while obviously enchanted to run the distance it traveled, at the speeds it achieved, without refueling – all without needing an actual person to operate it – it still produced as much noise as any locomotive, so the carriages at the back tended to fill up first as they were quieter. As they started to board, she empathically sent a feeling of happiness and relief towards Tuomas.

Picking the second from the engine, Kai climbed the steps first. Tuomas started to follow, stumbling on the middle step. Kai grabbed his arm and steadied him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Tuomas said, an odd look on his face. “I just… can you do your silence thing in here?”

“Not for long, but yeah, I can manage for a few minutes. It’s a lot harder to do in a vehicle,” Kai said as Emppu and Troy entered the carriage. As soon as they were inside, Kai put up the sound wall. “Okay, what’s up?”

“That ass was right about one thing,” Tuomas said. “Floor’s somewhere close, damned if I know how or where, though. I’m gonna assume Marko’s with her.” He paused, sending his own feeling of hope back to her. “I wish I could actually hear thoughts, that would be really, really helpful right about now. I can’t tell what they’re gonna do, but I have to guess they’re gonna try to board the train just before it pulls out.”

In the shelter of the trees, Floor smiled. “He knows we’re here,” she whispered to Marko. “Let’s hope they can guess what kind of help we need.”

“Let’s all keep an eye out, then,” Kai said, “just in case they need help.” He grinned a bit, adding, “Anyone got anything we can throw at the workers to distract them and give those two a clear run for the train?”

Emppu grinned. “How about firecrackers?” he asked, pulling several packages of tiny ones and a book of matches from his pack. “I found ‘em in my guitar case, probably left over from that last post-race party Tuomas and I went to. Actually… how long before we’re supposed to leave?”

“Ten minutes,” Troy said.

“Plenty of time, then,” Emppu said. “Operation Noisemaker commencing now, sir.” He gave a joking salute and did his little disappearing act. Rather than going out the door of the carriage, though, he hoisted himself out through the window before opening one of the packages of firecrackers. He slowly and quietly moved about halfway down the train, lit the fuse, and used his ability to move small objects to send the firecrackers towards the end of the train, making sure to avoid hitting anyone.

_Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!_ Chaos ensued as girls screamed, men shouted, and even those damn roosters started crowing loudly to add to the cacophony. Every man in the livery of the hostel came running out, seeking the source of the noise and looking around for signs of attackers.

Marko smiled. “I do believe they figured it out. I didn’t know any of them had firecrackers with them, but I bet Emppu’s the one who set them off. Let’s fly, Carpet!”

Emppu checked his watch and decided he had time to set off one more packet before sneaking back to re-board the train before it left. He sent this one a little farther down than the first, hoping that wherever Marko and Floor were hiding, they’d seen which carriage the others were in. Six people in a carriage made for four might be a bit snug, but he knew Kai and Tuomas wouldn’t mind.

Emppu let himself become noticeable once again and rejoined the others in their carriage as though he’d merely hopped out to see what the noise was. The train whistle blew its one-minute warning, and then a new shout went up outside the train.

“There he is! Stop them! Don’t let him get aboard!”

“Holy shit!” Tuomas exclaimed, looking out the window.

Marko and Floor crouched on a _flying carpet_ , of all things, slalomed through the air toward the train as they tried to avoid thrown lassos, stones, and even a couple of pieces of firewood that some creative hostel worker levitated to try to knock them down. They had nearly reached the train, dropping lower as they aimed for the door Tuomas jammed open, when the train started to move.

“Fuck!” Marko swore, urging the carpet to greater speed. “Floor, grab hold of me and don’t let go, no matter what!”

She complied, hanging on for dear life, her eyes closed as they raced to get alongside the moving train as it picked up speed.

Marko headbanged, whipping his hair towards the carriage and thanking the gods that whoever designed them to look like horse-drawn carriages included the railing that acted as a luggage rack on an actual horse-drawn coach. His hair wrapped around the railing, just as one worker, faster than the others, got a rope around one of Carpet’s tassels.

Floor yelped as the worker yanked on the rope thinking he’d stopped them, only to pull Carpet out from under them, leaving them dangling from the railing of the carriage as the train accelerated eastward, held only by Marko’s hair. Floor nearly lost her grip on him as the speed slammed them into the side of the carriage, slipping down far enough that her feet trailed dangerously close to the wheels.

Kai reacted first, using his great strength to hold onto the doorframe with one hand while reaching for Marko with the other.

“Get Floor inside first,” Marko yelled over the noise of the steam engine, trying to twist around so Kai could grab her instead.

It took a couple of tries, but they managed, and Kai wrapped both arms around her waist, hauling her inside so quickly that he fell over backwards with her sprawled on top of him.

Tuomas stepped into the doorway, with Troy and Emppu holding him from behind, and leaned out to grab Marko under the arms. “I got you, love,” he called over the sound of the wind and the locomotive. “Let’s get you in here!” He pulled as hard as he could, fighting the wind resistance from the speeding train. “On three,” he yelled to Emppu and Troy. “One! Two! Three!” With their help, he tugged Marko into the carriage.

Marko sagged against Tuomas in relief as he flicked his head back to release his hair from the railing on top of the carriage. Kai, with Floor still in his arms, picked himself up and settled into one of the seats with her in his lap, checking her for injuries. Her shoulder looked badly bruised, but nothing appeared broken. Tuomas did the same for Marko, who escaped with fewer bruises than Floor as her shoulder had been between his body and the side of the carriage when they hit it.

Troy slid the door shut and made sure it was firmly latched. He wrapped his arms around Emppu, pulling the little guitarist into a third seat, and smiled. “It’s good to see you two,” he said softly.

“It’s good to be here,” Marko said, his hair gently coiling around himself and Tuomas. “Up until a week ago, I didn’t think we’d be able to get away before Floor and I ended up married. The gods bless the person who included the flying carpet in the bunch that Agrabah sent me as a gift. I suspect I wasn’t supposed to get an actual flying carpet, you know? Because they were still keeping me under guard; I couldn’t leave the Palace or courtyards unless I had a half-dozen bodyguards with me. I was able to sneak out with the carpet. When I learned it could get us to the train in hours instead of days, I told Floor to pack whatever she wanted to take, dress in her travel outfit, and wait on her balcony after the ball. Unfortunately, someone spotted us flying away from the Palace, and they sent some kind of magic message to the hostel.”

“And it’s a good thing we scouted the place before we tried to get on the train, because we managed to overhear them talking about us and how they needed to keep us off the train by any means,” Floor put in. “King Ranulf was determined to turn Marko into the heir he wanted, but once we’re in Suomellen, he has no way of forcing Marko back to Corona.”

“Thank the gods for that,” Tuomas said. He rested his forehead against Marko’s. “I hated leaving you.”

“I hated watching you go,” Marko replied. “I think the only thing that stopped me from killing King Ranulf that day was that if he died, I’d be even more trapped because he’d already officially declared me his Heir. If I thought getting away from the position of Crown Prince was hard, I can only imagine how difficult it would be to escape if I’d actually become king!”

Everyone laughed at that, and if the laughter was more than a touch hysterical, it also drained the last of the adrenalin and finally allowed them all to fully relax for the first time since the day Marko first learned of his ancestry. The three couples spent the rest of the trip eagerly discussing their hopes and plans for Nightwish. They couldn’t wait to start working to make their dreams a reality.


End file.
